You're My Chance To Break Free
by mush14meyers
Summary: A girl is set up and gets thrown in the refuge for something she didn't do. It turns out to be one of the best things to happen to her when a certain newsie comes across her refuge cell. But even when she gets out of the refuge, she's still not free.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original characters from the Disney movie, "Newsies."

Hi again, guys. Back with another Newsies fan fiction :D I'm in the process of writing this one, so updates may be a little slower than usual (sorry) but I'll try to get the chapters out as quickly as possible. This story's pretty different from the rest, and I still can't decide if that's a good thing or a bad thing. I'll let you guys be the judges, I guess. So here's the first chapter.

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The snow had finally melted off the dirty apartment stoops and the rooftops that touched the skyline. Rare patches of grass along the streets that had, all winter long, kept a lifeless yellow color, were beginning to fade back to green.

Once in a while you'd come across a tree whose leaves were already starting to bud. And the people of Manhattan, New York, who had been hiding away from the cold all winter, were finally starting to crowd the sidewalks and parks again.

The first day of spring had been nearly a week before, but the weather had stayed harsh until now. It wasn't a perfect day outside or anything. Clouds still covered the sun that had been trying to peek out all day. But the air was much warmer and all the clues that winter had been particularly brutal that year were starting to slip away.

The sidewalk was filled with venders, bustling adults, and children who were running and playing. The cobblestone streets were filled with horse-drawn carriages. So I balanced on the curb between the sidewalk and the street, looking down at my feet as I put one foot in front of the other. The sound of a piercing whistle echoed off some of the buildings from far off, but I didn't pay much attention to it. The cops were always after somebody.

Someone bumped into my shoulder with theirs as they strode by, obviously in a rush judging by their quick pace. I lost my stability and slipped off the curb into the street, but I was able to keep my footing. When I looked up to see who had bumped into me, I was surprised to find that he was looking back at me cautiously, as if _I_ had been the one who bumped into _him_. The boy of about 16 quickly turned his head forward again and quickened his pace even more as soon as I had met his gaze.

I shrugged it off and stepped back onto the curb, beginning to walk again. I was deep in thought as I stared down at my feet, and the conversation going on around me was shoved into my subconscious.

A business man around 30 years old was conversing with a cop. The two of them were standing on the side of the road, right next to the horse that belonged to the police officer.

"Yes. It was brown and made out of leather." The business man informed him. The cop nodded and looked at the notepad he was writing in. "And you're positive you didn't drop it?" He asked without looking up.

"No. I had it until some street rat bumped into me." The man stated in disgust. "Did you get a good look at the kid?" The business man shook his head. "No... By the time I realized my wallet was gone, the kid was already halfway down the block. I tried to yell for him to stop but as soon as he realized I was on his tail, he took off running."

The cop happened to look up at the exact minute that I was passing by. I could feel his eyes on me and I nervously side glanced at him. "Excuse me, miss...Stop right there." He instructed.

I stopped walking and looked at him. "Why...?" I asked cautiously. "I didn't do nuttin'." The cop ignored my statement and walked over, watching me like a hawk. "Please empty your pockets." The cop said. My eyes grew wide. "But I told ya, I didn't do nuttin'!"

"Then empty your pockets!" He demanded, starting to get aggravated. I sighed and muttered angrily to myself, reaching into my pockets so I could turn them inside out and show them that I had absolutely nothing. _This is crazy. They automatically assume I did somethin' wrong, just because I don't dress like I'm high status_.

My hand touched something that made my face go completely white. Leather. I took the object out of my pocket and stared at it, stunned. "My wallet!" The man yelled, snatching it out of my hands. "But...! But I didn't take it!" I exclaimed. The cop ignored my protests and grabbed my wrists, quickly binding them together.

From over the police officer's shoulder, I caught a glimpse of the boy who had bumped into me. He was watching the whole scene unfold while crouching behind a sign outside a bakery. _The little rat! He must've slipped it into my pocket when he found out he was going to get caught!_

"Let go a'me! I didn't do it! It was dat guy, over dere!" I yelled, pointing across the street. The boy quickly ducked behind the sign so he wasn't visible anymore.

Still keeping a firm hold on my wrist, the cop glanced over his shoulder. The only person he could see was the baker, who was standing outside his shop and having a cigarette. " Are you trying to tell me that Mr. Holland, the baker, set you up?"

I desperately tried to explain to him, but he was already shaking his head in disapproval and pulling me towards a carriage that had just slowed to a stop in the street in front of us. "We got another one..." The cop mumbled to the driver. He threw me in the back of the carriage and swung the door closed, locking the bars in place.

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A smirk was starting to form on the corner of Skittery's mouth as he looked down at his fanned-out cards. He was never the best at poker faces.

He cautiously laid down his cards while Mush and Kid Blink followed suit, all of them examining the hands. Skittery had a full house, while the most any of the other boys had was a single pair. "Yes!" Skittery exclaimed, throwing his fist in the air.

He reached for the money that had accumulated in the middle of the table during the course of the game. However, in all his excitement, Skittery had forgotten about Racetrack. Five cards were thrown down on top of the coins. 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, all clubs. A straight flush.

"Tisk, tisk, tisk..." Racetrack mumbled, smirking. "C'mon, Skitts. Ya know better than to doubt me." The three boys groaned as Race slid the money to his side of the table. "That's gotta be da fourth game he won tonight!" Mush pointed out, a look of disbelief on his face.

"Fifth." Race corrected, taking short puffs on his cigar. "Whadda ya say we make it six, huh?" He smirked again and collected all the cards to put them in a single pile so he could shuffle them. "You gotta be kiddin' me." Skittery said, pushing his chair away from the table to show that he was out. "Mush?" Race asked. Mush shook his head frantically and put his hands up, indicating that he was done, also.

"Blink?" He turned to Kid Blink, who shook his head. "Sorry, Race. You'se already cleaned me out. Besides, I think I'se gonna go visit Crutchy." A couple of days ago, the boy had landed himself in the refuge for apparently "Provoking a fight" with a high-status teenager roughly his age. All the newsies knew that Crutchy wasn't guilty of anything. He was one of the most lighthearted and polite of all of them. As far as newsies go, anyway. But, as always, the bulls refused to listen to anything a street rat had to say.

"And how do ya figure you'se gonna do dat? Dey ain't gonna let ya in!" Skittery exclaimed. "Yeah, he's right. Eva' since Jackie-Boy escaped da refuge for da ninth time" -Racetrack exaggerated, but not by much- "Da guards know dat lettin' a newsie in to see anudder newsie means trouble for 'em."

"Ya know, Race... Dey've got dese crazy things called windows..." Blink said sarcastically, grinning at him while he stood up. "Jus' be careful, a'right Blink?" Mush warned. "Or else it ain't gonna be gettin' ya in dat'll be da problem. It'll be gettin' ya out."

"A'right, a'right. Any of ya bums wanna tag along?' Kid Blink asked. He looked from Skittery and Mush over to Racetrack. "How 'bout you, Race?"

He shook his head. "I would, Blink... But I'se gotta head down to Sheepshead. Yesterday, I got dis hot tip on a horse—" The three boys interrupted his story with groans. Everyone knew that Racetrack's "hot tips" always ended up pretty cold.

Blink walked over to the refuge around the same time that dusk was setting in. From the shadows along the gate, he examined the building and tried to figure out which cell his friend had been placed in. Blink hoped that Crutchy didn't get put in one of the second floor cells, because he hadn't thought to bring a rope with him before he left.

Checking to make sure there weren't any guards in sight, Kid Blink quickly climbed the gate and jumped it, landing with a soft _thud_ on the other side.

A clap of thunder from far off made Blink look up. More clouds were starting to roll in, making the skies even more threatening. The air around him was warm and moist, promising one of those early-spring thunderstorms.

"Better get goin' if I wanna find Crutchy..." He muttered to himself. "It looks like it's gonna pour."

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_Great__... Looks like it's gonna pour_. I thought, staring up at the sky through the metal bars. A clap of thunder had brought me over to the window, and made me aware of how bad a rainstorm would be right about now.

My refuge cell was dug below the ground. The only part that had been built above ground was a few feet below the ceiling, where the little square window was. If it was to rain hard enough, all the water would roll in through the barred window and flood the cell at least a few inches.

I sighed and retreated back to the bed, sitting down on the mattress that was hard as stone. Hell, for all I knew it could have been stone under that old thin blanketing. The cell had a depressing mood to it as I looked around. The only glow came from a lit candle on the opposite side of the room, casting its light onto the stone bricks behind it.

I had been in the refuge a few times before, but this time I really didn't do anything. If I had just listened to my friends, none of this would have happened. I should have gone back to the orphanage with the rest of them instead of taking the long way back to the place I called home.

The candle burned closer and closer to the wax until it finally flickered and went out, leaving me in complete darkness. The constant sound of dripping water echoed off the walls. I listened to it and let my mind wander until another sound broke me out of my thoughts.

There was shuffling in the grass outside the window. I could barely see the shadow of someone out there. "Hey... Crutchy. Crutch, ya in heah?" Someone whispered.

I cautiously got up from the bed and wandered over to the window, coming face to face with a boy around my age. "Woah... You ain't Crutchy." He said. I smirked at him. "I would hope not." I replied dryly.

He searched my face, trying to figure out if I was being spiteful or just joking around. I took the opportunity to stare back at him to take in his features. The boy had a brown eye patch over his left eye. From under a brown newsboy cap, I could tell that his hair was a golden color. It would have hung over his eyes if it wasn't carelessly swept to the side of his forehead.

Finally deciding that I meant well with my sarcasm, his face lit up and he shot me an amazing smile. "Sorry for distoibin' ya, miss." He said, tipping his hat in my direction and heading over to the window belonging to the cell located left of mine. "Wait!" I called after him. He came back over and crouched next to the window. "Yep?" he asked.

"If yer lookin' for Crutchy, you'se goin' da wrong way." I told him. He tilted his head in confusion and raised an eyebrow. "Ya know him?" he asked.

I shook my head. "Nah, but I'se seen him when I came in heah. And anyone who can't make da connection from a name like dat ain't too bright." The boys' grin widened and he laughed. "He's a few cells down dat way." I said, pointing to the right.

"Hey! You, what're ya doin'!?" A deep voice yelled. I couldn't see who was outside, but I guessed it was a guard. "Woops... Gotta go." The kid said quickly. "Thanks for yer help!" he called, sprinting off in the other direction.

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Like it? Hate it? Please review :D. I'd love to hear what everyone thinks so far.

Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original characters from the Disney movie "Newsies."

Hiya. Okay, you guys. One more exam tomorrow and then I'm completely done with school for the summer. I'm so happy. This school year has been a huge pain. But anyway, this chapter's a little short, but I wanted to get it out as soon as I could.

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It rained mercilessly all night. Thankfully, no one was staying in the empty bunk across the room. I was able to use the extra blanket to stuff up the window, letting it absorb most of the rainwater before it came into the cell.

The rain finally stopped by sunrise. When I woke up the next morning, I was happy to find that, for the most part, the blanket had worked. Aside from a few large puddles on the stone floor, the cell didn't flood half as much as I thought it would.

I slept on and off all day since there was absolutely nothing else to do. When I couldn't possibly sleep any more, I stared up at the ceiling, memorizing every pattern, crack, chip, and outline on the stones above me. Sometime around sunset, I went over to the window and took out the still-damp blanket, tossing it onto the floor behind me. In the very far distance, through the bars on the window and the refuge gates and the hazy buildings along the skyline, the clouds were finally starting to clear away. I watched the sun set, wondering when I was going to get out of that damn cell, until one of the guards interrupted my thoughts.

"Heah." He mumbled, pushing a bowl and a spoon in through the flap in the door. I cautiously went over and took it, examining the so-called food. "What is dis?" I asked.

"What's it look like, goil!? It's soup!" he stated impatiently. I heard his footsteps disappear down the hall. I poked at the slimy liquid with my spoon, wondering what kind of soup had the same consistency as jello.

I brought it over to the small side table across the cell, leaving it there and retreating back to the bed. It would take a lot more than a few small hunger pains to make me eat _that_ stuff.

I lied down on the rock-hard bed, closing my eyes and forcing sleep to come to me. Finally, I fell asleep for about the twelfth time that day.

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"Hello? Hellllooo. Hey! C'mon, get up!" I sat up, shaking my head to wake myself up. I thought I heard whispering, but maybe I was imagining it. There was a long pause of silence. "... Are you even in dere?" The whispering came again.

I stood up in the dark cell and made my way over to the window, trying my best to avoid the rain puddles on the floor. The same boy from the day before was crouched next to the window, staring at me through the bars. "Hey sleepyhead." He greeted me with a wide smile.

I rubbed my eyes, trying to get my vision to clear. "Hi... What're ya doin' heah?" I asked. He shrugged. "Guard chased me away yesterday befoah I could go see Crutchy. Could ya point me in da right direction again? It seems I'se forgotten which way to go." He told me, his grin getting even wider.

"You gotta be kiddin' me. I told ya jus' yesterday... Is yer memory really dat bad?" I asked mockingly. The boy laughed and shook his head. "Naw. Actually, I know exactly where to go. A few cells down to da right." He said. I raised an eyebrow at him. This guy was really confusing me.

"Truthfully, I figured I'd stop 'nd get yer name before I went over to see Crutchy." He said, shrugging. "Get my name?" I repeated. "Yep. I'se Kid Blink." He said, slipping his hand through the bars. I cautiously put my hand into his, shaking it. "Silver." I replied.

"Hm. Interestin' nickname, ya got dere." He said, breaking the handshake and pulling his arm back through the bars. "I wouldn't be talkin', _Kid Blink_." I said. He laughed. "Hey, at least I'se got a good reason for it." He said, pointing to the eye patch. "And me friends call me Blink." He added.

"Yeah, well I'se got a reason for my nickname, too." I replied. Blink sat down cross-legged on the soft grass. Resting his elbow on his knee and his chin in his hand, he leaned forward so he was eye-level with me. "A'right. Let's hear it." He suggested.

This guy sure certainly was friendly, huh? I point him in the right direction the day before, and all of a sudden he plops himself down and has a conversation with me through a refuge cell window. Still, I didn't mind it the least bit. It was nice having someone to talk to.

"Ah, it's sort of a long story..." I said. Blink shrugged. "I'se got time. Well, dat is, if you wanna tell me." I rolled my eyes but laughed. "I'll make it short so you can go see yer buddy Crutchy, a'right?" Blink nodded.

"Well, me real name's Silvia Dawn. But to be honest, I was neva' too fond of da name Silvia. I was named after me grandmudda', 'nd it suited her more than it suited me, ya know? So's I started goin' by Dawn." Blink stared at me and nodded every few seconds to show that he was listening.

"Anyway, me best friend knew me real name was Silvia and started callin' me Silver Dawn. Ya know, jus' to get on me nerves 'nd stuff. So eventually it jus' got shortened to Silver." I told him.

"Huh. Well dat shoah beats da tar outta my story." He commented. I laughed and he got a slight gleam in his eye as he grinned back at me. "Ahh, so ya _can_ smile." Blink said. "'Course I can smile. I'm a human bein', ain't I?" He shrugged. "Yeah, but ya seem a lil' down in da dumps. Dat's da foist time I'se seen ya crack a smile since I met ya."

"Then again, you're not the one stuck in the giant metal cage." I pointed out. Blink held up a finger. "True. However, I've been sittin' outside dis giant metal cage for da past 15 minutes. So if I _was_ da one in da giant metal cage, it's not like I've got anythin' better to do anyway."

I rolled my eyes. "You'se crazy." I said. Kid Blink smiled. "Yeah, I know." He replied. "Anyways, I gotta go see Crutchy before dey catch me again." He got to his feet and paused, but then he kneeled down again. Blink picked up my hand that was lightly wrapped around one of the bars and slipped it through the opening, bringing it to his mouth. He kissed my hand gently, but kept his eyes on me. "Maybe I'll see ya 'round, Silver." He told me, standing up and jogging out of sight.

After he was gone, I stared out of the window with a blank look on my face at where he had just been kneeling. Finally, I shook myself out of the daze and left the barred window, going back over to the bed. _What did he mean by "Maybe I'll see you around?" Did he mean he was coming back...?_ I hoped so.

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Thanks for reading! Reviews would be great if you could. I'd love to hear what everyone thinks.

**ktkakes:** Yep, a Blink one :D I figured I haven't written a story for him yet, and since he's so cute I might as well haha. He does seem really nice, doesn't he? I always got that impression, too, so that's how I tried to make him come across in this story. I'm excited that you're excited, however you always seem excited... It's a good thing though! As I've said before, your enthusiastic reviews always reminded me of one of the really happy newsies! (Kid Blink, Mush, ect. ect.)

**Ashleigh.Lopes:** Aw, thank you very much! I'm always happy to get new "lurkers" haha. Thanks for the review, and I'm glad you like it.

**NarniaRulz:** I'm happy you like the story as well as Kid Blink, because he's just so damn lovable lol... Thanks for sending a review, and I'll try and get these chapters out as fast as I can.

**SantaFeDreamer: **So Blink's your favorite, huh? I would have to say that mine is Mush, but hey, I love Kid Blink a lot too. He's definitely up there with the favorites lol. Thanks for the review, and don't worry about the reviews for the last story. I appreciate any comments I can get from you guys. The ones you send are always really great.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original characters from the Disney movie, "Newsies." The only character I claim ownership over in this story is Silver.

I just got back from my last final exam for the year, and I'm done for the summer. Oh god, I've been waiting for this since midterms ended so I could just write as much as I want. While I was taking the final, my mind sort of, as always, wandered to newsies (while I _should_ have been thinking about earth science, but that's besides the point.) I noticed that the majority of the girl characters I have all start with S. Sketch, Shadow, Silver, Shamrock... Hm. Maybe I've just got a thing for S nicknames. Anyway, chapter 3. Here we go.

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It was only my third day in the refuge, and I was just about ready to die of boredom. None of the guards would tell me how long I was staying, but I wasn't sure how much longer I could take this.

I sat by the wall, carving my name out in one of the stones. I was using a nail that had fallen out from one of the beds. I was halfway done with carving out the "E" in my nickname when I heard footsteps coming down the hall.

I turned my head and saw a guard approaching the cell door. He slid a plate through the opening and I went over to retrieve it. I examined the food and went over to my bed, picking up the old piece of bread. I attempted to bite into it, but it was extremely stale.

I chucked it across the room in aggravation and it hit the opposite wall. The barely-edible bread made a loud _crack_ when it hit, ricocheting off the bricks. I shut out the constant growling in my stomach and did my best to ignore it.

Since I didn't have a pocket watch or anything, it was difficult to tell time. At least during the day I could manage, using the angle of the sun to take a guess at the time. But after dark, it was nearly impossible. Minutes blended into hours as I just sat still with my thoughts.

Sometime after midnight (or so I was guessing) I heard someone shuffling around outside the window. "Hey, Silver... You still awake?" I immediately recognized Blink's voice. "Yeah." I whispered back, making my way over to the window.

"Hey." Kid Blink greeted me. "I thought ya woulda been asleep by da time I got heah since it's so late. I had to wait until Kloppman fell asleep before I could leave, though." I raised an eyebrow at him. "Kloppman?" I repeated.

"Yeah. Caretaker at da Newsboys' lodgin' house. Dat's what I do. I sell papes." He explained. "Really?!" I asked. "Aw, dat's so cool. See, I grew up heah in New Yawk, and I'se always wanted to be a newsie... But I hoid dey don't take many goils."

Blink shrugged. "We don't really got a problem wit goil newsies or nuttin'. It's just dat dere ain't too many goils who want da job. But you'd love it. Da guys at da lodgin' house are da greatest... Foist dere's Mush and Race, who are me best friends. Mush is kinda quiet sometimes, but believe me... Race is da exact opposite. Little wise-ass, he is..."

The way Blink's eyes sparkled when he talked about his friends told me that they honestly meant the world to him. I rested my elbow on the window-sill and put my chin in my hand, watching him intently and listening to every word he said.

"And den dere's Jack, ya probably hoid of him before from da strike. Crutchy's annuder one of me close friends, and so is Bumlets 'nd Skittery..." Without realizing it, a small smile was starting to creep up onto my lips as I watched him talk. He immediately stopped and raised an eyebrow at me. "What?" Blink asked.

"What?" I repeated. "What are ya smilin' at?" He questioned. I laughed, slightly embarrassed. "You... Da way ya talk about yer friends... Ya really care about 'em, huh?" Blink shrugged. "Dere me family, ya know?" He replied. I nodded.

There was a short pause where neither of us said anything. "Oh!" Blink exclaimed. He held up a finger indicating for me to wait a second, as if I could actually go somewhere else if I wanted to. "Almost forgot. I brought ya somethin'." He said.

Blink took off the worn knapsack that was he had been carrying on his shoulders. He put it down in front of himself and sorted through it. "Heah it is..." Blink muttered, pulling out an item folded in cloth and quickly unwrapping it.

Now he held a fresh loaf of bread that he tore in down the middle, handing half of it to me through the bars. I looked from his outstretched hand to his eyes. "What is dis?" I questioned.

He cocked an eyebrow at me. "Bread." He answered simply. I rolled my eyes. "I know it's bread. But why are ya given it to me?" I asked. "To eat." Blink answered simply again.

"Ya know dat ain't what I mean! Would ya quit tryin' to be cute 'nd jus' answer me question?" I exclaimed. Blink laughed. "You'se gotta be hungry. I'se been in da refuge once meself, and I know what dey feed ya don't exactly taste like peaches 'nd cream."

I didn't know too much about newsies, but I knew that money wise, they weren't much better off than I was. This was probably his dinner that he was trying to split with me. I shook my head and lightly pushed his hand away. "Dats yours, Blink. Honestly, I ain't hungry." I lied. "But thanks."

"C'mon, Silver... Please, take it." Kid Blink argued, trying to hand me the bread. I shook my head again. "No, Blink. I'm guessin' dats yer dinner, and I ain't takin' it." I said. "I'm givin' it to you! And I ain't eatin' it, so if you don't it goes to waste." He said firmly.

I sighed and looked up to meet his eyes. He stared determinedly at me, but a tiny smile tugged at the corner of his mouth when I stared back at him. "Take it." Blink said again, outstretching his arm towards me as much as he could.

I cautiously took the bread from him, accidentally brushing against his hand with mine while doing so. A tingle went up my spine but I quickly pushed it out of my mind. "Thanks, Blink. You're real sweet." I said, making him blush slightly.

The two of us talked for hours into the night, nibbling on our bread and sharing stories through the small window. When I would talk, he would sit there and listen intently to every word that came out of my mouth. And I did the same for him. Blink left about a few hours before sunrise so he could catch some sleep before he had to sell. Despite the fact that I was locked up in a refuge cell, he left me feeling incredibly happy.

This went on for the next couple of days. Eventually Crutchy was let out of the refuge, and I assumed Kid Blink would stop coming. But he didn't. Every night he would come and sit outside that window, talking with me and bringing small portions of food when he could.

It started to become the only thing that I looked forward to. Every day I'd sit in the cell and wait for nightfall to come so I could see Kid Blink's great smile. The thought occurred to me that maybe I had developed a crush on the boy. But I pushed it out of my mind, deciding that we were just becoming close friends and that was all.

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Yeah, so it's kind of short and pretty much nothing important happens, but the next chapter's going to be more eventful. I promise. Thanks for reading and please send a review if you can.

SantaFeDreamer, ktkakes, Pippa Kelly, stress, Trignifty, and NarniaRulz: Thanks for the really nice reviews. You guys are awesome :D


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original characters from the Disney movie, "Newsies." The only character in this story that I own is Silver.

Hey guys. Okay, so to be honest I'm a bit worried about posting this chapter. See, there's sort of a huge plot twist and stuff kind of switches around a whole lot, so I'm not sure if you'll like it. But I promise, if you guys stick with this story it should get a little better.

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It was roughly a week and a half since I had gotten to the refuge. I heard the sound of footsteps coming down the hall, but I didn't bother moving from my spot on the bed. Guards came up and down the halls all the time, so I didn't think anything of it. I continued to stare up at the ceiling until I heard the sound of a key unlocking a door.

The same officer who had caught me with the wallet was standing in the open doorway. "You Silvia?" he asked. My real name was rarely used by anyone besides the orphanage caretaker, so it seemed strange to me. I nodded slowly.

"Come with me." he ordered. Skeptically getting to my feet, I wandered over to where he was standing. He grabbed the sleeve of my shirt and pulled me down the halls and out of the refuge, leading me to a parked carriage similar to the one I had arrived in. Shutting the door to the back of the carriage, he locked me in.

At first I didn't know where we were going, but then I recognized that the route we were taking was the same one back to the orphanage. My thoughts were confirmed when we slowed to a stop in front of the sign that read "The Manhattan Orphanage."

Grasping my sleeve again, the cop dragged me out of the carriage and up the front stairs of the building. He knocked hard on the door and we waited.

Eventually, the door creaked open and I saw a familiar face. It was Ella, my best friend. Her mouth curled slightly into a smile when she saw me, but her pale face fell again when she saw the cop standing next to me. "Excuse me... May I speak to the caretaker of this orphanage?" He asked.

Before answering, Ella nervously glanced at me. I nodded reassuringly, although to be honest I had no clue what was going on myself. "Yeah... sure." She muttered, opening the door enough for both the cop and I to step in.

Ella disappeared up the familiar winding staircase. The entrance room of the orphanage hadn't changed the least bit since I first arrived there when I was 9. Everything in the room was wood, from the floor planks to the long panels on the wall. Even though the room was a bit dim and dusty, it was kept particularly neat.

The caretakers' desk was pushed off to the side near the staircase and there were a couple old couches near the fireplace, but none of the children ever stayed down there. Most of the time, the younger kids were kept upstairs. All the children over the age of 13 were allowed outside unaccompanied, but we had to be back before dark.

Ella didn't come back down. However, I heard the old stairs creak and looked up to see Mrs. VanWyck, the caretaker at the orphanage. She had been there for as long as anyone could remember. Mrs. VanWyck looked like she was in her 60's, with her tired eyes and her grey hair that was always pulled tightly back into a bun. Judging by her title and the fact that no one had ever seen her husband, the children at the orphanage all assumed that she was a widow, though no one ever dared to ask.

It wasn't that Mrs. VanWyck was _mean_, exactly. But she was stern. Her rules were her rules, and they weren't to be broken. She wouldn't deal with kids' antics, and we knew that. So most of us chose just not to get into trouble.

But I had managed to break that rule. Once again. As Mrs. VanWyck got to the bottom of the staircase, she didn't say anything to me. She simply shot me a strict glare and looked over at the cop. "Hello... Is there a problem?" She asked, obviously aware that there was since I hadn't bothered to come back over the past week.

"Yes, actually. There is, Mrs..." He started, letting his voice fade out. "VanWyck." She reminded him. The cop nodded once. "Mrs. VanWyck." He repeated. "We caught this girl here pick-pocketing someone on the street. She would have snatched the man's wallet if we hadn't seen her." He stated.

"Silvia!" Mrs. VanWyck scolded. "What do you have to say for yourself!?" She asked, appalled. I thought about reminding her, once again, to call me either "Silver" or "Dawn", but then I thought better of it. I was in enough trouble as it was. "I didn't do it!" I protested. Her look turned sinister as she crossed her arms. "That is what you said last time." She reminded me. "But this time I really didn't do it!" I pleaded.

"Hush. I hate when children whine." She told me, turning away from me and towards the cop. "I assume she's been in the refuge for the past week and a half, officer?" She asked. The officer nodded. "Alright..." Mrs. VanWyck sighed. "I'm quite sorry for the inconvenience. I'll make positively sure that she doesn't get into any more trouble."

The cop looked down at me with a look of disgust on his face. "I'm afraid that won't be enough, Mrs. VanWyck. The refuge has been looking through their files, and it seems that this isn't the first time that Silvia's been placed in the refuge." He stated. "Is that correct?"

I nodded slowly, dropping my gaze to the floor. "The warden of the refuge has suggested that she be kept under a watchful eye all the time. Silvia is not to be permitted to leave this orphanage unless given permission by either myself, the warden, or any other enforcer of the law."

"What?!" I exclaimed, my head snapping up at his mandatory proposal. "It's either that or she's back to the refuge." The officer said, ignoring my outburst. "Of course, Officer. I'll be sure that she doesn't leave here."

"Thank you for your cooperation, Mrs. VanWyck. Have a nice day." He said, stepping outside and closing the door after him. The clicking shut of the door seemed to echo in the heavy air. With my hands in my pockets, I avoided Mrs. VanWyck's gaze as she stared down at me. Finally after a few "tsk tks"s and a sigh, she walked over to the stairs. "Come on." She muttered.

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It's short. I know. But if I can I'll try to post another chapter later on tonight. Thanks for reading and please review if you can!

**ktkakes:** Thanks (yet again) for the great review! I love how they're always so long and I appreciate the fact that you take the time to write them. I'm glad you like it!

**SantaFeDreamer:** Haha to be honest, before I started writing this I was actually contemplating making this another Mush story... But I figured I already had two and Blink seemed like he would fit better into the storyline. Thanks for the wonderful review, as always! As for your stories, I think you should definitely put one up here. I was nervous about posting my first story as well, but everyone's gotta start somewhere, right? I'll be looking out for it :D

**Passionate Fire: **Yep, I sure am :D lol. Thanks so much for reading and reviewing... People who come in after the first few chapters have been posted tend to not review, but I really appreciate that you did. Thanks for the dialogue comment, as well. Sometimes I feel like some of the dialogue I write is sorta corny, and it really bugs me because I'm one of those people who think that what the characters say is one of the most important things. It helps to know that you like it :)

**Trignifty:** Thanks for the review! I hope you keep reading. (puppy dog eyes) haha.

**Spinner: **Aw, thanks :) I'm so glad you like it. I'm a Blink fan, too, although Mush happens to be my favorite. Those abs... ::Drools.:: Okay, sorry. Anyway, No, I'm not the same Silver from "The Stars." However, I am reading that story and it's way good, isn't it?. :D By the way, I got a kick out of your "Happy dances" in the last review, lol!

**Pippa Kelly: **lol yep, we are. I was up until nearly 5 AM reading your story, and (as you can probably tell from the multiple reviews) I think it's really good. And, yeah, reading newsies fan fictions really early in the morning has kind of become one of my past times haha. That is funny about the depth-character-kat-review thing. Guess we think alike :). Anyway, thanks for the review!


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original characters from the Disney movie, "Newsies." The only characters in this story that I claim ownership over are Silver, Ella, Mrs. VanWyck, and Jayson.

Hey guys. I was going to upload this chapter this morning, but I kind of had to help my best friend get ready for her end-of-the-year-school-dance-thingy, so I didn't get a chance to post. In this chapter a few more characters are going to be introduced, as well as finding out more about Silver's personality. Here goes.

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When we got to the second floor, kids' passed us in the hallway. I earned confused looks and slight nods of acknowledgment from my friends who were wondering where I had been, but they didn't dare to ask in the presence of Mrs. VanWyck. They could tell I was in trouble by the stern glare she kept on her face.

"Jayson!" She ordered, stopping a boy around my age as he walked by. "Yes, Ma'am?" He asked, glancing quickly at me before returning his gaze to the caretaker. "Go with Silvia to the girls' sleeping hall and push her bed to the separate wing where the empty rooms are. Silvia, get your belongings and follow Jayson while I look for some extra candles." She commanded, retreating back down the stairs.

We waited until we were in the sleeping hall and safely out of Mrs. VanWyck's ear shot before we spoke. "Heya Silver... Good to see ya." Jayson said, going over to the general area where my bed was. "Dis one yours?" He asked, pointing to the bed that had all my clothes and items scattered over it. I nodded and smirked, going over to pick up my stuff.

I didn't have much so I was able to carry it all in my arms. Jayson went behind the bed and pushed it out into the hallway, narrowly being able to get it out the door.

The bed dragging along the floor made an irritating sound as the two of us headed for the opposite wing. "So how's stuff been 'round heah, Jay?" I asked, looking over at him. He shrugged while continuing to push the bed. "A'right. Same as always, I guess. 'Cept it was nowhere near as loud witout you heah." He commented. I laughed and punched him playfully on the arm.

"Hey! You wanna move dis yourself?!" He asked, pausing and standing upright again. I raised an eyebrow at him and shook my head. "Yeah, didn't think so." Jay mumbled, going back to pushing the bed. Still, he had a slight smile on his face.

I opened one of the doors to the extra rooms as Jayson pushed the bed in. The room was no bigger than a decent-sized closet and it was completely empty from wall to wall. When the orphanage was built, the small extra rooms were intended to be "sick rooms." They were for children who were so ill that they couldn't be around the others. But that rarely happened, so after years of being unused, the rooms eventually got emptied out.

When electricity was put in the building, they didn't even bother to put lights in the sick rooms since they were always vacant. The only reason we were able to see was because of the last rays of daylight flooding in through the window.

I threw my belongings onto the bed again after it was pushed against the wall. "Woah..." Jay said, looking around the dust-covered room. " Why's VanWyck's puttin' ya in _heah_?" He asked.

"So I can keep an eye on her, Jayson." A voice came from the doorway. We both whirled around to see Mrs. VanWyck with a candle in her hand. "You are not to leave this room for more than a few minutes at a time unless I permit you to, understood? I'm not putting a lock on this door as of now, but if I have to then I will." She stated, putting the candle down on the floor next to the bed. I nodded to show that I understood her.

"Remember." She warned. "My room is just across the hall, so if you decide to try anything foolish I'll know." Mrs. VanWyck said. She turned to Jayson. "You're free to go back to what you were doing, Jayson. Silvia, you're free to get washed up and changed but I expect you to be back in this room in no more than 30 minutes." She commanded, leaving the room.

I went over to grab a change of clothes off my bed and Jayson turned towards me, looking down at me with sympathy in his eyes. "Dis really sucks, Silver. I'se sorry yer stuck in heah." I shrugged. "Ah, don't worry 'bout it, Jay. It's a lot better than da refuge, right?" I replied, trying to smile at him.

He laughed and rubbed the top of my head, messing up hair up. "Yeah... Good thing yer back. I was pretty sure Ella was 'bout to have a heart attack if no one found out where ya were." He told me, walking down the hallway. We split up when I reached the washroom and he reached the boys' sleeping hall.

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The water from the shower was freezing cold, but I felt a million times better afterwards. Just thinking about a refuge cell made you feel dirty. Never mind having to sleep in one for more than a week.

After brushing my teeth, I pulled on a loose button-down shirt and a black pair of pants and went back to my new room. I was in the middle of pulling my wet hair up into a pony-tail when Ella came in through the door, looking frantic.

Ella had arrived at the orphanage nearly a year after I did. Even though we were best friends, the two of us were complete opposites. Ella was rational and soft-spoken, while I was impulsive and unafraid to tell people what I thought. She was calm and I was hectic.

We were even different right down to our looks. Ella had fair features. Her light straight hair fell to the middle of her back and her blue eyes always seemed to be quietly taking in her surroundings. I, however, had large brown eyes and brown hair that was down to my shoulders. It was always kept in a pony-tail, no matter what. The only thing we had in common was our height. Both of us were relatively on the short side.

"Jay jus' told me... Da refuge, Silver? Again?" she asked. Aside from her soft tone of voice, I could tell she was upset. "Yeah." I replied. "Jeez... What was it dis time?" She asked, plopping herself down on the foot of the bed.

"Stealing a wallet." I replied, finishing my hair and lying down on the bed. "What!?" Ella exclaimed. "Calm down, El. I didn't steal nuttin'. I may break da rules sometimes but you know I'd never pull anythin' like that." I reminded her.

"So it was a mistake?" She asked. "Yeah, some kid slipped it into my pocket so he wouldn't get blamed." I explained. Ella sighed. "'nd now you're stuck in dis room for how long?" She asked.

I shrugged. "I dunno. But it's either dis or da refuge." I said. Mrs. VanWyck appeared in the doorway once again, making sure I was back in the room on time. "Alright, girls. It's late. Ella, please go back to the girls' sleeping hall and get ready for bed." She instructed. Ella dropped her gaze to the floor and nodded obediently, but she shot me a small smile as she stood up from the bed. "I'll see ya tomorrow, Silver." She added, waiting for Mrs. VanWyck's door to shut before she left.

I blew out the candle and crawled under the blankets. As I glanced out the window at the moon, I thought of something that made my stomach drop. Kid Blink.

I couldn't remember ever mentioning to him that I lived at the orphanage. It was impossible for me to go out and look for him because I wasn't allowed to leave the orphanage. Even if I could, I wouldn't know where to look...

An even more upsetting thought flooded into my mind. _What if I never see him again? _

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Completely exhausted, Kid Blink walked to the newsies' usual hang out to meet his friends for lunch. He trudged into Tibby's and slid in the booth next to Mush and across from Racetrack. His usual seat at their usual table. But his usual beaming smile was gone.

Blink was in a bad mood, which was extremely rare for him. The normally happy-go-lucky newsie had a hard time selling that day, but that was the least of his problems.

"Why da long face, Blink?" Mush asked. Racetrack looked up from a menu, overhearing Mush's question. "Uh-oh... Blink? Upset? Dat can only mean one thing..." Race muttered, turning to Mush. "Goil troubles." The two of them chorused.

Blink let out a sigh, proving them correct. "What's a'matter, Kid... Maybe we'se can help." Mush suggested. Blink thought about it, not really sure where to start. "Well, dere's dis goil." He began. "See, I really like her, 'nd... 'bout a week 'nd a half ago she got thrown in da refuge, so—"

"Your goil's in da refuge?!" Race asked quickly, cutting off his words. Kid Blink shook his head furiously. "No! She's _not_ in da refuge." He stated. "Wait... Den what's da problem?" Racetrack questioned.

"Da problem is dat I want her to be!" Blink exclaimed. Mush put his hands up. "Woah, woah... Lemme get dis straight. You _want_ da goil ya like to be in da refuge?" He asked.

Kid Blink, frustrated, slammed his hand down on the table and stood up. "You guys don't understand nuttin'!" he yelled, storming out of the diner.

Mush and Race watched him leave and turned to each other with their eyebrows raised. "It's official." Racetrack muttered. "He's lost it."

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Thanks for reading and please review if you can!

Passionate Fire, Trignifty, SantaFeDreamer, Spinner, NarniaRulz, and ktkakes: Thanks so much for your reviews, you guys. They're always so helpful, not to mention make me way happy :D You're the best.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original characters from the Disney movie, "Newsies." The only characters in this story that I claim ownership over are Silver, Ella, Jayson, and Mrs. VanWyck.

Hey guys. Alright. This chapter takes place about a month after the last one. Silver's been in the orphanage all that time without leaving. You guys are gonna learn a little more about her in this chapter. I'm working on characterizing her more so she doesn't seem so boring and stuff. Here goes.

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"I'm goin' crazy in dis room! I haven't left heah in nearly a month." I exclaimed, collapsing onto the bed. "Aw, dat ain't true, Silver. You go downstairs every mornin' for breakfast, and every night for dinner." Ella said, trying desperately to make me feel better.

She was sitting in a chair next to the bed. Ella had moved it there weeks before so she could sit and talk to me. She could be outside, enjoying the weather as it got deeper into spring. But every time I told her to go out, she refused, saying that it wouldn't be any fun unless we went together anyway.

I shot her a look. "You know what I mean. I gotta get outta dis buildin'..." I said, staring up at the ceiling. "Silver... You're not thinking about..." Ella asked cautiously.

I hadn't been, but she had just given me an idea. Ella saw the gleam of an idea in my eye. "No, Dawn..." She said, using my real name to show me that she was serious. "I hope you ain't thinkin'—"

"Be right back." I told her, interrupting her words. I silently tiptoed across the hall and put my ear to Mrs. VanWyck's door. When I heard nothing but light snoring, I took a deep breath and creaked it open.

Just as I had guessed, she was in a deep sleep. Mrs. VanWyck liked to stay awake to make sure that all the kids in the orphanage made it to bed on time, but since she had to be up at the crack of dawn to start the days' work, she often never made it that late.

"Yes!" I exclaimed in a whisper, going back inside the room. "Dis is perfect!" Ella looked up at me. "What's perfect?" She asked, her voice telling me that she was afraid of the answer she might get. "She's asleep." I replied, digging through my pile of belongings on the floor. It proved to be quite difficult, only using the light of the small candle to see what I was doing. I pulled out a knapsack and began packing it with things I might need. "You got a rope?" I asked, looking up.

Ella raised an eyebrow at me. "Why would I have a rope?" She replied. "Hm. You're right. Ella, do me a favor and go downstairs to da supply closet. Should be one in dere."

"For what reason?" She questioned, eyeing me suspiciously. "Well, I'se gotta have a way to get back in da window if she's downstairs by da door when I get back."

"Oh God, Silver... C'mon, please don't do dis. You get caught and it'll be real bad." She begged. "VanWyck's sleepin, El. I can easily slip outta heah and easily be back in a couple hours."

"And she can easily wake up!" Ella argued. I sighed. "Aw, quit worryin' so much." I said. Defeated, my best friend sighed and disappeared, coming back the next minute with rope in hand. "Thanks El." I said, taking it and stuffing it into my bag. I headed for the doorway to my room. "Wait! Ya can't go!" Ella said, deciding she'd give it one more shot to convince me to stay there. "Some kid might see ya leavin' and snitch on ya."

"Good thinkin', El." I said. Her pale face lit up. "I'll use da window." Ella sighed in exasperation and collapsed into the chair, putting her chin in her hand. "Fine. But if you get caught, Dawn... Don't say I didn't warn ya." I laughed and unlocked the window, quickly stepping outside onto the roof and shutting it behind me.

I waved to her through the glass, and although she tried to seem upset with me she couldn't help the little smile that tugged at the side of her mouth.

I turned to face the dark city in front of me. After lowered myself into a sitting position I carefully scooted to the end of the roof. Looking down, I never realized how high up the second story was before.

I nervously fiddled with the thin gold bracelet that was clasped around my wrist. The bracelet had a small heart-shaped charm that dangled from it, and I'd had it as long as I could remember.

I took a deep breath to calm myself and looked around for something to tie the rope onto. I noticed a small smoke chimney towards the back of the roof and I went over to it, tying a double knot around it with the rope.

Then I chucked it over the edge, and the rope just about reached the ground. After giving it a few firm tugs to make sure it was stable, I went to the edge of the roof, shut my eyes tight, took another deep breath, and began to climb down. I held on to the rope with all my might and walked my feet down the side of the orphanage building.

When I was about three fourths to the ground, my hands began to burn because of the grip I had kept on the rope. They slowly began to slide down until I couldn't take it anymore and let go, landing safely but painfully on my back. I groaned and stood up, checking the dark ground to make sure nothing had fallen out of my bag.

I left the rope there so I could get back up if I needed to. Then I began to run towards the gate of the orphanage, staying hidden behind the shadows of bushes and trees. I hopped the fence, landing on the other side and grinning at what I had accomplished.

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I wasn't sure where I was headed, but then again it didn't really matter. Just as long as I got out of that oversized coat-closet for a few hours. I always thought New York City was beautiful. But a combination of the late-spring weather, the nighttime sky, and the fact that I had been locked up for the past month made it seem gorgeous.

I walked around Manhattan, looking for something interesting to do. As I passed Irving Hall, I saw that all the theater lights were on. There were kids around my age standing outside the doors, some having a smoke. I assumed that Medda Larkson, the owner of the place, was opening the theater for teenagers that night.

I got a slight idea and began to build on it in my mind. Without being noticed, I furtively slipped around the corner of the building, searching for a side door to the place. When I found it, I pushed the heavy door with all my might and found that it was unlocked.

The hall that I had walked into was dark, but I felt my way along the wall and followed the drone of voices and music coming from in front of me. Then I finally reached another door and pushed that one open, as well. I was nearly blinded as I stared into the lights from the stage. I had come into the theater using an exit-door near the side-steps to the stage.

A security guard was standing off to the side of the door, and glanced at me when I came in. "Hey, you can't come in from that door!" He told me. I quickened my pace and pretended not to hear him, squeezing through the crowd in order to lose him. Because of my short height, I was able to get him off my tail quickly. I chose a spot standing against the very far wall where I would stay unnoticed. Only then did I look around to take in the details of the theater.

I found that I was right about how the theater was opened up to teenagers for the night. But they weren't just any teenagers. They were all newsies, or so I guessed by the way that they were all dressed. I seemed to blend in with the old clothes that I was wearing.

Then I looked over to the stage. Medda Larkson was standing on it, singing and flailing her arms around happily. She wore a pink costume-dress that was so fluffy she sort of resembled a pink waddling cotton ball. Uh, in a good way, though...

I'd never been to a vaudeville show before. I stood against the wall and contently watched the show for roughly 20 minutes. The newsies sung along with her, seeming to know every word as well as she did. As Medda ended a song and started another, I was snapped back into reality and reminded myself that I had to get going. I didn't want to chance being caught if I could avoid it, so I figured I should start heading back to the orphanage.

Unfortunately, on my way to the entrance door I was spotted by the security guard. He gave me a quick glance and began to weave in and out of the crowd, following after me. Thankfully, the rowdy newsies unknowingly made it a little harder for him to squeeze by them. I hastened my pace once again, but didn't full-out sprint, determined not to look too guilty of anything.

Just as I reached the balcony, I ran straight into someone's shoulder. "'scuse me." I muttered. "Don't worry 'bout-" The boy stopped mid-sentence as he looked down at me, but I was in too much of a rush to figure out why. I kept my gaze pointed to the floor and continued walking.

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Woops... Cliffhanger. Sorry guys lol.

Thanks so much for reading and please review if you get the chance.

To everyone who reviewed last chapter-- Thanks so much. You people are the greatest. I'd thank all of you individually, but I've really got to run. I just wanted to get this chapter posted before I went out. I'll add you guys onto next chapters' reviewers, though.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original characters from the Disney movie, "Newsies." The only characters in this story that I claim ownership over are Silver, Ella, Jayson, and Mrs. VanWyck.

Okay. So this one is kind of short, but I just wanted to get anything out because I'm going to be gone most of the night. Sorry about the cliffhanger last chapter, guys... I know, it was evil :) Here goes.

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By the time I reached the doors, I was nearly jogging. I flung open the entrance door and stepped into the lobby of the theater, quickly running down the stairs. I could hear someone's footsteps after me. "Hey, wait up a sec!" They called.

The voice sounded extremely familiar in the back of my mind, but I assumed it was the security guard and kept running. "Hey, Silver! Silver, is dat you?" The voice said again. This time I stopped and paused for a second before I slowly turned around, fiddling uneasily with the bracelet around my wrist again._ Great..._ I thought. _I spent the last month trying to get this guy outta my head, and now he's standin' right in front of me again_.

Kid Blink was standing at the bottom of the stairs, smiling brightly as usual. "Blink?" I asked in disbelief. "Yeah! Jeez, Silver. I ain't seen ya in nearly a month! You got outta da refuge, I'm guessin'? How ya been?" He asked.

"I've been a'right..." I answered. I kept nervously glancing up at the top of the stairs, waiting for the security guard to walk in the doors any minute. "Listen, Blink... I'se real sorry but I gotta get goin'."

"Aw, already?" He asked. I nodded. "Yeah... I can't really explain now, but I ain't supposed to be heah." I said, turning to leave. "It was real nice seein' ya again." I added.

Before I could open the door to go outside, Blink grabbed my arm lightly. "Wait..." He said. "Can I see ya again? Maybe tomorrow or somethin'?" Blink asked.

"I-I dunno, Blink..." I answered uncertainly. I really wanted to, but I didn't see any way I could. I wasn't even sure if I had gotten away with sneaking out the _first_ time. I wasn't about to go planning another escape already.

"Please? Only for a couple of hours... Say, Central Park. 'Round dusk." He said. Kid Blink still hadn't let go of my wrist, and I made the mistake of looking up into his pleading face. He smiled warmly at me, and I knew that I just couldn't flat-out say no. "I'll see if I can..." I told him.

His smile widened. "I'll be waitin' dere for ya." Blink said. I didn't want to leave, but with one last smile at him I walked away and my arm slid out of his grasp. Once outside Irving Hall, I broke into a run towards the orphanage.

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6:00 AM, on the dot. The ones who were barely awake hung on to their last few seconds of sleep when they heard the footsteps coming up the stairs. Every single morning, except for a few select holidays, the Newsies got up at the crack of dawn. You would have thought that they had gotten used to it by now. But they still gave Kloppman a hard time with getting up.

"A'right! Up, get outta bed! Up, up, up, carryin' da banner! Let's go, get a move on, boys!" Kloppman's voice rung throughout the bunk room. Groggily, some of the guys dragged themselves out of bed while the rest didn't even bother budging.

"Whats a'matter wit Blink?" Jack asked, walking over to Mush. "I dunno... He's had dat stupid dreamy look on his face since last night." He replied. Kid Blink was sitting on the edge of his top-bunk bed. His legs were dangling over the side like he was about to get down, but his vision was blurred out on nothing in particular. While he was lost in his thoughts, a slight grin was noticeable on his mouth.

After the daily routine of retrieving his cigar from Snipeshooter, Racetrack joined the conversation. "Maybe he met a goil or somethin' at Medda's..." He suggested. Race pulled his suspenders on over his shirt and turned to Blink. "Hey Blink... Did ya meet a goil or somethin' last night?" He asked. Cowboy and Mush rolled their eyes and laughed at his straightforwardness.

"Huh?" He said, snapping out of his daydream. As Racetrack's question sank in, his smile grew evidently brighter. "Well, not exactly... I didn't _meet_ her..." Blink said. Mush tilted his head to the side in a confused manner. "Whadda ya mean?"

"I already knew her... But I sorta bumped into her again. Da goil I was tellin' ya guys 'bout. From da refuge." Kid Blink explained. Race groaned and rolled his eyes. "Yer on about dis goil again?! Jeez, Blink...How come we ain't never seen her? You makin' her up or somethin'?" He teased, smirking.

"No!" Blink exclaimed. "She had to leave befoah I got da chance to introduce you guys last night." Racetrack rolled his eyes again. "Shoah, shaoh... Great Excuse. She probably don't even exist." He taunted, knowing full well that Kid Blink was anything but dishonest. Even when it came to selling, he tried not to exaggerate the headlines any more than he had to. This often left him with extra papes, and the other newsies teased him about being 'The worst seller in Manhattan.'

"I ain't makin' her up, Race!" Blink argued. Racetrack was just bothering him for the fun of it, but if there was any topic that Blink was a little sensitive with, it was girls. He rarely fell for them, and when he did they usually ended up breaking his heart.

"A'right, shoah. Dream me up da poifect goil while yer at it, a'right?" Race joked, turning around and heading for the washroom. A smirk mixed with a wicked gleam appeared on Blink's face as Race turned his back to him. He jumped off his bunk and onto Racetrack's shoulders, knocking him down.

In a matter of seconds, all the newsies in the bunk room were on their feet and forming a circle around the two boys, chanting "Fight, fight, fight!"

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The minutes ticked away and it got closer and closer to dusk. A nagging feeling inside of my stomach told me, _You got away with it once, you can get away with it again._ But I pushed the thoughts away and kept reminding myself to stay put.

In the small room, I lied back down and stared up at the ceiling. A feeling of guilt again tugged at my gut. I told him I'd see if I could make it...

_No._ My conscience scolded me. _Mrs. VanWyck will be back from running her errands in a few hours. What's she going to do when she comes back and finds out that you're not here? _

Then again... I did have a couple of hours. I didn't have to see Blink for long... Just a little while. It was a stupid decision and I knew it. It would have been pure luck if I managed to get away without being caught again. Still, my mind was so preoccupied with the thought of talking to Kid Blink that I didn't really even care.

Before I could change my mind, I got up and walked over to the door. I stuck my head out and looked both ways, making sure the coast was clear. Then I tiptoed over to the staircase and left out the front door without being seen by anyone.

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Thanks for reading and please review if you can! I love hearing what readers think.

ktkakes, NarniaRulz, Shi-Nom, MontanaSky, Passionate Fire, SantaFeDreamer, Orange Socks and Polka Dots, Pippa Kelly, Spaz-24601, Trignifty, ImaSupernaturalCSI, and Swiveling Sharpies-- Thanks so much for your great reviews. You've got no idea how much I appreciate your feedback.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original characters from the Disney movie, "Newsies." The only characters I own in this story are Silver, Ella, Jayson, and Mrs. VanWyck.

Hey guys. Wow... The reviews you have been sending, they're so great. I absolutely love you guys. But I'll thank you more at the bottom. As for now, NEWSIES :D

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"Where is he?" I muttered to myself. There were two stone pillars at the entrance of Central Park, connected by an unlocked gate in the middle. Leaning with my back against one of the pillars, I was the only one around. I had arrived there after dark and stuck around for several minutes incase Blink was running late as well. But he hadn't shown up, and I decided that I he wasn't going to come.

"I was wonderin' da same thing..." I assumed that no one was there, so I whirled around so fast that I nearly lost my balance. "Blink..." I whispered. "You scared me." He laughed. "Sorry..." Kid Blink apologized. "When did ya get heah?"

"About 10 minutes ago." I replied. "Oh... I went to go check the back entrance to the park. When ya weren't here, I thought you mighta' gone dere instead." Blink explained.

"Sorry... I sorta got a late start on leavin'." I said. Blink shrugged. "Dat's okay. I'se jus' glad you came at all." He shot me one of his amazing smiles. "Shall we?" He asked. I nodded and the two of us began walking down the sidewalk.

He looked down at me as he seemed to study my appearance. "It's weird not seein' ya through da bars on a window..." He stated pensively. "Jeez, I never realized how short you were." Blink added. Playfully, I socked him on the upper arm and he sulked, pretending that I'd hurt him. "Oh, suck it up." I replied. He looked down to his feet and smiled, but a short silence followed.

"So uh, where are we goin'?" I asked. "I dunno. Wherever ya want." I glanced sideways at Kid Blink while we walked. His hands were in his pockets and he had a slight bounce to his step. He always looked so happy, and every time I looked at him a slight smile would creep up onto my lips without me even realizing. "I guess we'll jus' wander around, den." I replied.

There was another short pause of silence where only our footsteps on the pavement were audible. "Uh, Silver?" He mumbled. I looked up at him. "I'se been meanin' to aks ya... What happened last night? I mean, why were ya in such a rush?"

"It's kinda a long story." I said, putting my hands in my pockets. Blink shrugged and looked up from his feet, meeting my gaze. "I'se got time." He suggested.

As we walked, I explained the whole orphanage thing to him. How I couldn't leave or it was back to the refuge for me. I told him how I snuck out of the orphanage and into Medda's the night before, and how my quick leaving was due to a combination of the security guard and getting back to the orphanage as soon as possible.

"Wait... So lemme get dis straight." He said when I had finished. "You ain't allowed to leave da orphanage. For anythin'." Blink recapped. "For anythin'." I repeated. "So you ain't supposed to be heah right now?" He asked.

"Nope." I said. Blink sighed and shook his head. "So what're ya riskin' gettin' in trouble for!?" He exclaimed. I shrugged. "I dunno... I said I'd be here, right?"

"You said you'd think about it." He corrected. "A'right. Well I did think about it. And I decided dat I really wanted to talk wit ya and seein' you was worth gettin' in trouble." Immediately after the words left my mouth, I regretted them. I turned my head away in order to hide that my face was turning red, but I could still feel Blink's eyes on me.

He only looked away when he heard a small cough coming from over by the statue in the square. "Les?" he whispered under his breath. "Huh?" I questioned. Blink didn't answer me. Instead, he ran towards the statue of Horace Greenley where a young boy was attempting to sleep on the lap of the statue.

Realizing that Blink knew the kid, I ran after him and slowed to a stop next to the statue as well. "Les... Hey, Les..." Blink shook the kid's shoulder. He couldn't have been any older than 11 and judging by his newsboy hat and ink-stained hands I assumed that he was a newsie.

Les opened his eyes. "Blink?" He asked. I noticed that his face was tear-streaked and the boys' eyes looked swollen from crying. "Hey, kiddo... What're ya doin' heah?" Kid Blink asked softly. Les slid down and sat on the base of the statue. "I got in a fight with me parents." He told us.

Kid Blink furrowed his eyebrow, so the boy explained. "Papa wants me to go back to school now that his arm's healed... but I don't wanna. I don't need to. I already make money as a newsie..." Les said.

"Aw, Les... Dat ain't no reason to run away. Don't ya think yer parents are worried 'bout ya?" He asked. Les shook his head frantically. "It don't matter. I'm not going back." He replied stubbornly.

Kid Blink sighed and sat down on the base of the statue next to the boy. "Les... Ya know how Cowboy uses all dose long catchy woids while sellin'?" He asked. Les nodded and his eyes lit up at the mention of Cowboy. It was obvious that the boy looked up to him with such awe and admiration. "Well don't ya wanna be as good a'sella' as him one day?"

The boy pensively tilted his head to the side as he looked at Blink. "Where do ya think you'se gonna loin all dose woids? Goin' to school is a great opportunity for ya, kid." Blink lightly and playfully punched the kid's shoulder. "Plus you can still sell on da weekends, right?" He added, convincing him. Les shrugged and, after thinking about it, slowly climbed down off the statue.

"Yeah, I guess yer right..." He finally gave in. Kid Blink crouched to Les's eye-level, being almost twice his size, and ruffled his hair. "A'right... Now hurry up 'nd get back home befoah yer parents freak out." He said, grinning. Les finally broke through his sullen facial expression to smile back at Blink. He nodded and began to run home.

Blink stood up, watching him turn the corner. Then he faced me. "What?" He asked. I realized that I was, yet again, staring back at him with a half-smile on my face. I quickly got rid of it. "Nuttin'..." I said. I turned on my heel and began walking away, but Kid Blink followed close behind, refusing to let it go that easily. "No, c'mon... tell me." He argued.

I shrugged even though my back was turned to him. "You, 'nd dat kid... It was just..." What was the word I was looking for? It was extremely adorable how Blink was looking out for him, and really sweet that he cared that much. Of course it was. It was Blink we were talking about, here. Still, I held my tongue. I had already embarrassed myself with the "You're worth getting in trouble for" comment and I wasn't planning on doing it again.

Thankfully, Kid Blink laughed and rolled his eyes before I had to finish my sentence. "Aw, I had to do dat. He's me friends lil brudda'." He stated. A smirk spread across my face. "Shaoh, Blink. C'mon, we all know dat you'se a sucka' for sensitive crap." I teased.

He tried to look offended as he looked over at me. "Hey! Take dat back 'nd quit makin' me sound like a pansy, would ya?" He said. My smirk grew wider. "No." I stated, stifling a laugh.

"I'm gonna soak ya if you don't stop laughin' at me..." he warned. His comment made me laugh even harder. Finally, he walked in front of me and turned to face me, blocking my path. He put his hands on my shoulders and looked down at me. Through his pretend glare, I could still see that he was smiling. "You gonna quit dat?" He asked.

My laughing abruptly stopped when I looked over his shoulder. My jaw dropped open and panic started to run through my blood. Kid Blink and I had wandered to one of the more busy streets in Manhattan. Even after dark, people still walked here and visited the many shops that lined the streets.

Mrs. VanWyck was walking towards us. Thankfully, for the time being, she was looking down and searching for something in her purse. But if she happened to look up, she'd be staring directly at me. The thought had never occurred to me that I might run into her while I was out and now I cursed myself for not thinking of it.

"Silver... Silver, what's a'matter?" Blink said. "Hey, look a'me, c'mon. Yer freakin' me out." He said, turning my chin so I our eye-contact met. "VanWyck." I choked out. "What?" He asked, leaning down closer to me so he could hear me. "VanWyck. The caretaker at the orphanage." I whispered.

He raised his eyebrow and looked behind him. When he turned back to me, his eye was wide and he had gotten my drift. "She sees me, I'm dead." I whispered. Kid Blink put his arm over my shoulder and pulled me close so I was more guarded from view. "C'mon..." He muttered.

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IknowIknowIknow... Cliffhanger :( But at least it's long...er? Right? RIGHT!? Please don't kill me?. ::shields face with hands:: I'll post more tomorrow.

Alrighty. Little too much caffeine this morning. Thanks for reading, and please review if you can!

So, reviewers from the past two chapters... (Crap, I hope I got all of you... If I missed one, please let me know!)

**Passionate Fire:** Haha, glad to hear it. You got... er, a little excited over that last chapter there? lol but, hey, I'm not complaining. I love reading your reviews. Ever so enthusiastic. And by the way... I think you might have been the only one who caught onto the charm bracelet thing :O. ::clap, clap::

**ktkakes:** Wow... I cannot believe that after, what, like 6 stories? You're still reviewing!! Thanks so much! I was sort of wondering how to classify this chick... Since Chaos was the trouble maker, and Shadow was the shy one, and Aces was the gambler, I wasn't sure which group to put Silver in. But your review made me realize that she's the adventurer! Yay :D

**Spinner: **Your reviews are also really enthusiastic and I love reading them. :D So Maria says thanks!

**MontanaSky: **Pfft... Who could NOT love Blink and Mush!? They're just so... so lovable!! Haha, I'm the same way with patients... I don't like waiting for stuff. Hm. Oh well. Thanks for the reviews!! And I loved your story, btw, if you couldn't tell by the review...

**Spat Tanblen:** You have no idea how helpful your review was... Except, of course, that I'm telling you how helpful your review was. Did that make sense? No... I don't think so. Oh well. Thanks so much for your review! I wasn't sure about people's opinions on the two-view-point-thing... Sometimes they can get confusing, and I was hoping it wasn't getting to that point... Anyway, Hope you keep reading :D thanks again.

**ImaSupernaturalCSI:** Thanks very much! Yeah, Silver would be in a little bit of a bind if she got caught, wouldn't she?. ::Evil laugh:: er... what?

**Swiveling Sharpies: **I'm just going to put something out there. You have a cool pen name. Okay, thanks so much for the reviews! Your comment about the resembling quasey modo, I've got to admit, I've never heard of anyone who went straight to that image. But it was hysterical. Anyway, on your suggestion I read your one shot and, if you couldn't tell by the review, I loved it!

**Spaz-24601: **Haha, yeah, I'll try to work on the shortness a little... Anyway, thanks for reviewing this story as well as a couple of my others! I'm glad you liked them! It's rare that I get reviews on them any more, since a lot of them were posted a while ago... I really appreciate it.

**SantaFeDreamer:** (Aka, Dodger) You're another one of the common-reviewers. Thanks! And, yeah, sorry about the cliffhangers lately lol... It's all I can manage to get out.

**Trignifty:** Yeah, I was thinking about that as I was writing it... Like, why wouldn't Silver, who's the risk taker sort of girl, try to escape sooner? Er... She didn't want to get sent back to the refuge, so she didn't try anything stupid? But now she _really_ can't stand it any longer, so...Yeah, that's it... lol. And that "you're way too obsessed with that movie" look you got from your little sister? Get it from my mom allllll the time haha.

**Shi-Nom: **Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you like it so far, and I hope you keep reading!!


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original characters from the Disney movie, "Newsies." The only characters in this story that I own are Silver, Ella, Jayson, and Mrs. VanWyck.

First off, I just wanted to tell you guys that people can still go to the 2007 Newsies Rally on July 27-28, but the girl organizing it would like for people to start RSVPing as soon as they can. For those of you who don't know what it is, Newsies fans from all over are going to meet in New York City on those days and do certain newsies-related activities together. (Scream off the Brooklyn Bridge, see Irving Hall, visit the Horrace Greenley Statue, watch Newsies together, ect ect) So if you guys want the link (I'm still not sure on this sites' policy on links) Explaining everything about the 2007 Newsies Rally, let me know and I'd be more than happy to give it to you.

Okay, so long chapter here. I guess to make up for all the cliffhangers lately, haha. Here goes.

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Blink quickened his pace as he pulled me into the nearest shop, which happened to be a book store. The store had poor lighting and was extremely dim. The man at the counter seemed to be engrossed in a newspaper and didn't even notice us come in.

As soon as the bell on the door slowly stopped ringing indicating that the door was shut, Blink broke into a run, pulling me close behind him. He led me towards the back of the store and stopped near the far wall of books. "We'll jus' wait until she passes, 'nd den we'll..."

The bell on the door sounded again and Blink and I looked up at each other, terror stricken. We both turned our heads cautiously towards the door and I tensed up when I saw that it was Mrs. VanWyck. She hadn't caught sight of us yet since she was looking at the various signs on top of the book shelves stating which genre was in that section. Kid Blink grabbed my hand and tugged me behind a book shelf. "Get down..." he whispered.

I did as he said and slid to the floor, Blink quickly following suit. I noticed that Blink was still holding onto my hand when he squeezed it. I looked up at him and our gazes met. I held it there for a few seconds until we heard slow footsteps against the rug approaching us. I shut my eyes tight and leaned against his chest that was rising and falling quickly because of his rapid breathing.

I cautiously opened one of my eyes and saw that VanWyck was on the other side of the bookshelf. I could barely see her through the breaks in the rows of books. Her footsteps stopped right across from us and Kid Blink nervously squeezed my hand again.

Out of nervous habit, I reached for the bracelet on my left wrist, only to find that the chain wasn't there. It must have had fallen off on my way to see Blink. I was nearly heartbroken, but I reminded myself that I had bigger problems to deal with at the moment.

VanWyck paused for a few seconds, and I could have sworn that she had seen us. But after about a minute, her footsteps picked up again until they disappeared towards the front of the store.

The both of us exhaled and let out the air that we had been holding in our lungs. Blink turned his head and looked down at me, his usual smile returning. "Close one, huh?" he whispered. I nodded and smiled back at him.

Kid Blink realized that he was still holding my hand. He quickly let go and averted his gaze from me as his face turned slightly pink.

I barely heard Mrs. VanWyck's voice from the front of the store. "Excuse me, do you have the time?" She asked. The man behind the counter took out his pocket watch and glanced at it. "8:07, ma'am." He stated. While taking money out of her purse to pay for the book she had chosen, Mrs. VanWyck mumbled to herself. "Oh dear... Better be getting back now."

The look of terror came back to my face and I looked back up at Kid Blink. We both scrambled to our feet and I began to panic. "Oh god, Blink... She's gonna get back 'nd realize dat I ain't dere!" I exclaimed in a whisper.

He put his hand over my mouth. "Silver, calm down... Listen to me, a'right?" Blink whispered. I nodded slowly. "I'll distract her for a few minutes 'nd you slip by her. Dat'll give ya a few minutes to run back to da orphanage before she gets dere." I nodded again as Blink took his hand off my mouth.

I looked up at him and his gaze met mine. A tiny smile tugged at the corner of his mouth and I could feel butterflies starting to rise in my stomach. At the time I didn't know what possessed me to do it, but before I could stop myself I stood up on tip toe and kissed him quickly on the cheek. I turned to walk away, but he quickly grabbed my hand and pulled me back to him.

"Wait... I wanna see ya again." Blink whispered. I thought about it for a second, dropping my gaze to the floor. "Come to da orphanage tomorrow night 'round 11. Go around da back of da buildin' and stand outside da window. I'll leave me candle on so ya know which room is mine."

He thought about it and nodded slowly. "A'right..." he finally agreed. "C'mon. Let's go before we lose VanWyck." He said. We left the book store and searched for her, looking both ways down the street. Blink and I spotted Mrs. VanWyck down the block, walking in the direction of the orphanage. "Stay heah until I tell ya to go." He instructed in a whisper.

Blink transferred over to her side of the street and pretended to be walking quickly, in a rush to get somewhere. He "accidentally" bumped into Mrs. VanWyck's shoulder, making her drop her purse. The contents spilled everywhere onto the sidewalk. "Oh, excuse me, Miss! Jeez, I'm sorry..."

She sighed angrily and bent down to pick up everything. When her back was turned, Kid Blink looked over at me and mouthed the word, "go!" I started running as fast I could as Blink bent down to help her pick up the contents of her purse.

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_This isn't good..._ Minutes—no, seconds—before Kid Blink was supposed to be coming, I heard footsteps approaching the door. I began to panic. VanWyck would ask tons of questions, as to why the candle wasn't blown out or why I wasn't ready for bed at that hour.

I thought about quickly blowing the flame, flooding the room in darkness so maybe she couldn't see me. But without the lit candle, Blink wouldn't know which room was mine. I didn't have any extra matches in the room, so relighting it wasn't an option.

_Clink._ Something tiny and solid hit my window behind me, making me nearly jump out of my skin. _Oh God... I hope he's not old fashioned enough to throw rocks at the win—_

_Clink. _

I froze as the footsteps stopped outside my door. All I could do was stand completely still, facing the door with a look of guilt written all over my face. The door creaked open, and to my relief, Ella stepped in.

She raised an eyebrow when she saw me. "Uh, Silver... It's near 11 at night. Why are ya still dressed in yer normal clothes and why are ya... starin' at me like I've got three heads?" She whispered.

I shook the look of alarm off my face and stiffly sat down on the bed. "No reason." I stated, silently cursing myself because that was the best excuse I could come up with. "What're ya doin' heah?" I asked, my voice coming out more squeaky and nervous than I had planned.

She raised her eyebrow even higher at me, but ignored how anxious I seemed. She took a few steps towards me and held something up, letting it dangle from her fingers. The gold glinted in the light from the candle. _My bracelet_.

"Found dis outside near da stoop. Would've been pretty bad if VanWyck was da one to find it... You'se been sneakin' out again, Silver?" Ella asked, tilting her head and looking at me worriedly. "Thanks, El." I said, avoiding her question. I reached out for the chain and she dropped it in my hand, sighing softly. _Clink._

Ella blinked a few times and peered over at the window, but I quickly stood up to block her view. "Ya better be gettin' back, El... VanWyck might catch ya outta bed."

"I think dere's someone at da—" _Clink_. "Window..." Ella muttered suspiciously, moving past me towards the glass. "No, don't look out dere!" I said quickly, sounding a lot more jumpy than I had wanted to. "Why not?" She asked in puzzlement.

I sighed. There was no use lying to her. "There's..." I paused, knowing the two reactions that my best friend would have. "A boy out dere." I finished. Her eyes grew wide. "A boy!?" Ella exclaimed in a whisper. "You mean... ya like him!?" _Reaction number one_, I counted in my head. I shrugged and pretended to be struggling with the clasp on my bracelet while I tried to put it on again.

Ella didn't wait for a real answer before realization struck her. "Wait... You mean you'se sneakin' out again!?" She said, louder this time. Reaction number two. "Shh!" I reminded her. "Yes." I added.

She bit her lip and her face fell. "Silver..." She begged. "You're gonna get caught!" Ella warned. "Don't worry, El... It's gonna be fine." I reassured her. _Clink._ Another pebble was thrown at my window. "Now I gotta go before da rocks alone wake VanWyck up." I said. I pulled Ella in for a quick hug, reassuring her once more and thanking her for bringing the bracelet back to me. After nodding slowly in defeat, she turned and left, tiptoeing back to the girls' sleeping hall.

I opened the window and stepped out onto the roof, crawling cautiously to the edge. Kid Blink, pebble in hand, was just about to try again to hit my window. His arm froze in mid-air when he saw me. "Jeez... You'se determined, ain't ya?" I whispered, loud enough for him to hear me from the ground.

Dropping the pebble into the grass, he shrugged and flashed his usual grin. "How ya plannin' to get down?" he asked. In response, I disappeared from view and the next thing he saw was a heavy rope falling towards him. "Woah!" Blink exclaimed, jumping out of the way so it didn't hit him.

I laughed as I got ready to climb down. "Now I'se only done dis once before... So don't laugh if I fall." I said, grasping onto the rope as my feet slowly walked down the wall. "You fall 'nd I'll catch ya." Kid Blink told me. I felt my face growing hot and it was all I could do to keep my knees from going weak.

It was becoming extremely hard to hold onto the rope. The slight moisture that had collected on the roof once the sun went down was now on the soles of my shoes, making it especially hard to climb down. I was roughly 7 feet from the ground when I slipped, same as last time. I went plummeting towards the ground, but unlike last time, Blink was at the bottom.

As promised, he caught me safely, yet awkwardly, in his arms. I cautiously opened my eyes when I didn't feel the hard dirt under the back of my head. A shy smile spread onto my face. "Thanks." I whispered. Blink just grinned at me for a couple of seconds before he put me back on my feet. "Don't mention it." He whispered back.

We started walking towards the gates of the orphanage. I cleared my throat softly to tried and get rid of the uneasiness around us. "So uh... Where we headed?" I asked.

Kid Blink shrugged and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Actually, I was thinkin' we'd go to dis little diner near heah called Tibby's, if dat's okay wit you." I nodded and shrugged as well, indicating that it didn't matter to me. "Dere's some people I want you to meet." Blink told me.

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Thanks for reading! Please review if you have any comments or constructive criticism. (Woah, lots of alliteration there.)

ImaSupernaturalCSI, Shi-Nom, Swiveling Sharpies, Lavendar26, ktkakes, Spinner, Trouble for Newsies, and Spaz-24601- Thanks so much for your reviews! I'm glad to see that you guys like the story... However, you don't seem too happy 'bout the cliffhangers. Except for ImaSupernaturalCSI, who seems to like them a lot? Hmm...

Lavendar26- Thanks for adding me into your C2 community! I've never been in one before and I'm so excited :D haha.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original characters from the Disney movie, "Newsies." The only characters in this story that I claim ownership over are Silver, Ella, Jayson, and Mrs. VanWyck.

32 days until the Newsies Rally in New York City :D! Does anyone still want the link for the website where all the information is? If so, tell me and I'll be sure to send it to you. Okay, this chapter is kind of short. But!! It's not a cliffhanger, and tomorrow's chapter should be somewhat longer.

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Because of the late hour, aside from the dimly lit streetlamps, the only light on that block came from Tibby's Restaurant. Peering in through the large windows that coated most of the front wall, I saw that the restaurant had a pleasant and welcoming feel to it.

The room was deserted of all people besides newsies, but since there were roughly 15 of the boys it didn't seem deserted at all. Only about two or three of the workers were still on shift, assuming that business was going to be slow until closing time: 12:00 midnight. But apparently the newsies had decided to leave the lodging house to catch a late dinner that night.

Kid Blink and I walked through the door into the bright atmosphere. A boy with wavy brown hair and glasses was the first to look up and notice us. "Hey, Blink! Where ya been?" he asked, causing everyone else to turn their attention to us.

"He's been at back at da lodgin' house practicin' his knitting..." A boy said sarcastically. "Where do ya think he's been!?" He exclaimed, motioning to me. He was short with a young looking face and dark brown eyes, no doubt Italian. A cigar hung out of the corner of his mouth that was twisted into a smirk.

"Jus' a question, Race." The first guy sneered at him. "Well, maybe ya should think befoah ya aks any more questions, Specs." He shot back.

"Woah... Settle down, will ya, fellas?" Another newsie cut in. This one was obviously one of the oldest and, aside from his age, stood out from the other newsies in the way that he was dressed. Instead of the usual cabbie hat worn by the rest of them, he had a black cowboy hat. And to go with it, a worn-out red bandana was tied around his neck. "Aw, come on, Jack... We'se jus' jokin' around." Specs stated.

"Hey, Blink!" One of the boys yelled, waving his arms at us from one of the back tables. Blink looked up at the speaker and he grinned, waving back. "C'mon." He mumbled, instinctively taking my hand in his and leading me towards the table.

Kid Blink pulled up a chair for me between himself and the Italian. I thanked him with a nod and a slight smile before I sat down. Besides myself, Blink, and the Italian smart-ass, there were two other boys at the table with us. One had chocolate colored brown eyes and brown curly hair to match. That was the one who had waved Blink over. Beside him was a face that I knew I recognized. It took me a few seconds to place him, but then it clicked.

"Crutchy!" I exclaimed. I originally meant for the thought to stay strictly in my head, but it escaped my lips when I figured out who he was. Crutchy glanced over at me with a confused look on his face. "Sorry... Do I know ya from somewhere?" He asked. Realization struck me and I remembered that we had never met. I knew who he was, but he didn't know who I was.

"Oh... Uh, not really. See, I was in da refuge around da same time you was, so I'se seen ya 'round dere. Blink talks 'bout ya a lot." I explained. A smile formed on his mouth. "Oh! Yer Silver!" Crutchy laughed. "Yeah, Blink talks a lot 'bout you, too... Now when I say a lot, I mean a _lo_--"

Crutchy was cut off by the Italian. "Well, lookie dere! She actually _does_ exist!" He exclaimed, grinning widely. Kid Blink sighed softly and placed his chin in his hand, propping up a menu to hide his face from view. The guys laughed, all except for the boy with the brown hair and brown eyes. He sat there silently, but smiled knowingly at their comments.

"Allow me to introduce meself 'nd da udder guys, since Blink's a little too preoccupied hidin' behind a menu." The Italian said, extending his hand towards me to shake mine. "I'm Racetrack. Dis here's Mush"- Mush waved and smiled shyly -"'nd you'se already met Crutchy." He told me. I recognized the nicknames from when Blink used to talk about his friends back at the refuge.

"I ain't _hidin'._ " Blink said. Crutchy let out a sarcastic laugh, and the four boys bickered amongst themselves for a little while longer. I sat back and watched them with a look of amusement on my face. It was obvious that 90 percent of their conversations consisted of making fun of one another, but it was also obvious that the four of them were the best of friends.

The conversation was momentarily brought to a stop as the waiter came over to our table. "Can I take your orders?" he asked in a bored tone, flipping his notebook open to a clean page.

"Uh... Can I have a hot dog, please? And a water." Blink replied. The waiter nodded and turned to Crutchy. "Jus' a grilled cheese." He said. "For you, miss?" The waiter asked me. I looked up at the large chalkboard menu that hung above the register. "I think I'se jus' gonna have some tea. Thanks."

"French fries and a coke." Racetrack added. Mush was the last to order. "Uh... I'll have a waffle, please." The waiter nodded once more and disappeared into the kitchen, scribbling down the last of our orders. Race slowly turned his head to stare at Mush. "Who da hell. Gets a waffle. At 11 o'clock at night." He asked. Mush shrugged and raised his eyebrow at the question. "_I_ get a waffle at 11 o'clock at night." He replied defensively.

Racetrack rolled his eyes and faced forward again. "Pfft... Weirdo." He muttered under his breath. "Wise-ass." Mush shot back.

"Wimp."

"Show-off."

"Pansy.

"Undersized Italian."

Racetrack's mouth dropped open. "You take dat _back._ " he hissed. Mush smiled innocently and shook his head. "Take it back or I bash yer face in." He warned. Mush shook his head again. Racetrack reached across the table and threateningly grabbed Mush's collar, appearing like he was about to punch the newsie.

"Foods heah." Crutchy announced. Race released his grip on Mush's collar. "Oh. Okay." He said, the calm expression returning to his face. He casually sat back down in his chair and, as the waiter put the food down, they chatted happily as if nothing had happened.

I glanced at Blink and raised an eyebrow, but he just laughed and shrugged. "Ya get used to 'em." He assured me.

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Thanks for reading! Please review if you can. I love hearing what readers have to say about this story.

ImaSupernaturalCSI, MontanaSky, ktkakes, Shi-Nom, NarniaRulz, SilverRain1.3, mrcrockz06, Spaz-24601, and Trignifty: Your reviews are much appreciated :) Thanks for sending them!!


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original characters from the Disney movie, "Newsies." The only characters in this story that I claim ownership over are Silver, Ella, Jayson, and Mrs. VanWyck.

Wow. I just read this one fanfiction, and it was so depressing... All the newsies grew up and stopped being newsies, and the OC didn't get the guy, and a select few died, and aw...It just put me in such a terrible mood. Especially since I spent the last two hours reading it, and then the ending came and it wasn't at all what I expected and I did one of those ::Drops to the knees and throws head back and screams "NNOOOOO!!":: Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm a loser :). So here's chapter 11. I tried to make it longer, and as much as a non-cliffhanger as I could.

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The newsies left about 10 minutes before closing time. We hung around outside the restaurant for a few minutes afterward, until Jack suggested that they get back to the lodging house before Kloppman threw a fit.

Kid Blink lingered behind near the door with me while the rest sauntered off, laughing and chatting loudly. "Thanks, Blink. I had a lot of fun." I told him. He grinned. "Yeah, me too..." He replied. Blink paused for a second as if he was going to say something else, but then he shut his mouth again and averted his gaze. "C'mon. I'll walk ya back." He said.

"Nah, don't worry 'bout it. You'se gotta get home jus' as much as I do. Besides. Looks like it's gonna rain." I added, looking up at the sky. Dark thunder clouds were beginning to roll in, covering just about every inch of the night sky. "Pfft. As if I'se gonna let ya walk home in New York City alone near midnight." He told me.

"Hey, Blink!" Race called from the mob of newsies that were now nearly down the block. "You comin' or what!?" He yelled. Kid Blink shook his head. "Nah! I'se gonna walk Silver back!" Blink called back. "Blink, it's okay. Ya don't gotta—" I protested. He turned around and hushed me. "No worries, okay? It's fine. I really don't mind." He smiled and my stomach did a somersault.

"Ohhhhh... Okay." Race sang, hinting at something with his tone of voice. He shot us a wink and, with a huge smirk on his face, turned around to catch up with the rest. I sighed softly to myself. _Boys. So immature_.

Kid Blink turned to face me again, uneasily rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. "Let's get goin' befoah he decides to come back 'nd bug us some more." He suggested. I laughed, beginning to walk next to Blink and falling in step with him.

Neither of us said anything for a while, but it wasn't an awkward silence. I had grown comfortable around Kid Blink, whether we were talking or not. With my hands in my pockets I walked next to him contently and noticed the signs of the storm that was coming.

The streets were deserted besides me and Blink. Every inch of the night sky was covered with threatening storm clouds. The wind blew roughly and made the backs of the leaves on trees visible. And the air smelled of rain and static. Another one of those late-springtime thunderstorms was looming over us.

When the raindrops finally fell, they didn't escalate slowly. In a matter of seconds it went from a light drizzle to a torrential downpour. The huge raindrops hit the cobblestone hard, sending smaller splashes of water every which way.

"Uh oh... C'mon!" I yelled over the sound of the rain. I grabbed his arm and pulled him under an awning, belonging to a pawn shop that was closed for the night. I took a seat on the protruding bricks under the window. "We'll jus' wait under heah 'till it passes... It ain't gonna rain dat hard for long." I said.

"Aw, c'mon. What's a'matta, Silver? It's just rain." He stated optimistically, shrugging. Still, he took a seat next to me on the ledge. "I ain't in da mood to get completely soaked, thank ya very much." I replied. Kid Blink rolled his eyes but smiled.

I stared out at the rain, past the awning that was protecting us from the torrent. Blink's hand accidentally brushed against mine that was sitting idly on the ledge next to me and I could nearly feel the electricity. A shiver went down my spine. Sitting there silently with him, sheltered from the pouring rain, I finally admitted it to myself. I loved him.

It wasn't just a friendship, like I had told myself so many times before. I couldn't ignore quickening of my heart every time he smiled at me, or the lump in my throat when he walked into the same room. I treasured every conversation we had together and I longed for him to pick up my hand and hold it safely in his.

I bit my lip and turned to face him suddenly. "Blink..." I began. I couldn't look him directly in the eye so I averted my gaze. "There's somethin' I'se gotta tell ya..." As I nervously fiddled with the bracelet around my wrist, I accidentally unhooked the clasp and the bracelet slid off my arm. The sound of the metal hitting the cobblestone echoed in my ears and seemed to break me out of the daze I was in, bringing me back to reality. I shut my eyes tightly for a second.

Who was I kidding? I couldn't tell Blink how I felt about him. Things would change. Everything would change. What if he was freaked out and didn't feel the same? And even if he did, it was only a matter of time before I got caught sneaking out to see him. Who would want a girlfriend who was permanently locked up in an orphanage all the time?

Blink slowly bent down and picked up the bracelet. Then he sat up straight again and examined the heart-shaped charm hanging from the chain. I took a deep breath. "Never mind." I muttered. Kid Blink looked over and stared at me for a few seconds, searching my eyes. "No... Tell me." He whispered.

I shook my head and put out my hand for the bracelet, but Blink kept it in the palm of his hand. "Silver..." He begged. "Ya can tell me anythin'. C'mon." I shook my head again. "I can't... Not dis, anyway."

"What 'bout all da hours we spent talkin' through dat refuge window? Ya know dat you'se can trust me..." Blink assured me. "Forget I said anythin'... Can I jus' have me bracelet?" I asked. A slight grin played on Kid Blink's lips as he got to his feet. "Where ya goin'...?" I asked cautiously.

Blink inched backwards towards the end of the awning, stepping closer to the downpour. "Tell me or I run." He said. I rolled my eyes. "C'mon, Blink. Cut it out 'nd sit, a'right?" I told him. His grin widened and he held up the bracelet. "And I'se got dis, so you'se got no choice but to chase me down." He took a few more steps backwards. "Blink..." I pleaded.

"Ya gonna tell me or what?" He asked. I kept my mouth shut but got to my feet. I took a step towards him and he took a step backwards. He raised his eyebrows and waited for a response. When I didn't give him one, he whirled around and took off into the pouring rain.

"Blink! Blink, get da hell back heah!" I yelled. Still, he kept running. I sighed and left the awning, sprinting after him. My hair was matted down by the rain in seconds and wet strands fell into my eyes. The rainwater was soaking into my shoes, making them dense and heavy. I stopped for a split second and pulled them off along with my socks. Then I took off again, making a mental note of where I had left them.

Without the weight of my shoes, I was able to eventually gain on Kid Blink. My bare feet pounded against the cobblestone until I finally caught up with him, down the block from where we had started running. I threw my arms around his neck from behind, attempting to tackle him, but Blink didn't lose his balance enough to fall. He simply stumbled over his feet and regained his posture, turning around to face me.

He was completely soaked and so was I. Beads of rainwater rolled down his face as he grinned at me. "Guess ya won..." he told me in between gasps for breath. He momentarily took off his drenched newsboy hat. Blink ran his fingers through his hair, trying to rid his forehead of the wet golden strands before he replaced the hat. I didn't respond for the sole purpose that I couldn't. Kid Blink looked absolutely amazing standing there in the rain.

He reached for my wrist and clasped the bracelet on me again, but he didn't drop my hand. Blink's gaze wandered up to my face. His mouth was slightly open and his chest heaved up and down as he tried to catch his breath. My breathing was heavy, also, but I didn't break my gaze from his.

He suddenly took me in his arms and brought his lips down against mine. The flood of water hitting the cobblestone was deafening and Blink's kiss was earth shattering. For a few seconds my mind was completely overflowing with thoughts. Then everything I felt for Kid Blink took over and I wrapped my arms around his neck and stood on the tips of my bare feet, kissing him back.

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Comments? Criticism? Please review :D And thanks for reading.

MontanaSky, Facetiouslymischevious, Spaz-24601, ktkakes, Spinner, mrcrocks06, ImaSupernaturalCSI, Trouble For Newsies- Thanks so much for your reviews, guys. Very helpful. I love reading them!


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original characters from the Disney movie, "Newsies." The only characters in this story that I claim ownership over are Silver, Ella, Jayson, and Mrs. VanWyck.

Alright, someone pointed out a while ago (Passionate Fire, I think) that the mayor's name around this time period was Van Wyck. So I finally did some research, and found out that Robert Anderson Van Wyck was the first mayor of New York City in 1898. Now, Robert Van Wyck and Mrs. Van Wyck have no connection, because at the time I made her character I had no clue of this fact, but let's just say they were married. That would _technically_ make Silver Mrs. VanWyck's daughter since she's responsible for her, making Silver also the Mayor's Daughter. Meaning that Kid Blink got his date with the mayor's daughter after all :D. But there is no relation. I just thought that was ironic. On with the story.

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By the time I reached the orphanage gate, the rain had slowed to a slight drizzle. I held my shoes idly by my side and I stepped in the puddles leading up to the stoop. I had decided that if I could barely climb the rope up to my window when it was dry out, there was no way I'd be able to do it after the skies just poured buckets of rain. I had no choice but to go in through the door.

I was in too good a mood to think clearly. There was a half-smile on my face that I just couldn't seem to get rid of. Every time I thought of Kid Blink I got butterflies in my stomach.

As I opened the door and stepped into the threshold, someone was standing in my way. I froze for a moment, scared to look up and hoping that it was Ella or Jay... Anyone but the caretaker.

When I finally forced myself to glance up, Mrs. VanWyck, along with her usual stern glare, was there and looking furious. "About time you got back, Silvia." She said. I glanced over her shoulder and saw that Ella was pacing behind her. She looked like she was on the verge of tears, as if she had just let the entire world down.

"Silver, I'm so sorry... I tried to pretend to be you under da blankets but she knew... I'm real sorry." Ella begged. Before I could answer, Mrs. VanWyck put a firm hand on my upper arm and pulled me into the lobby. "I thought I made myself very clear. I told you that you were to stay in that bedroom! And you've disregarded my rules once again, Silvia." VanWyck brought me over to the couch and ordered that I sit.

"Ella, as for you. Off to bed. Now." Ella looked like she was about to protest. Something she never does. "Jus' listen to her." I said softly. She opened her mouth to apologize once again, but I shook my head. "Don't be sorry, El. Dis ain't your fault."

Mrs. VanWyck waited until Ella had trudged back upstairs before she looked down at me. "I'm unsure that I have ever had a bigger trouble-maker than you, Silvia Dawn. I'm guessing that you have gone so far as to scaling down the building to sneak out, judging by the rope I found hanging off the roof!"

I bit my tongue before I could answer back and nodded, bringing my gaze to the floor. "I just do not know what to do. I give you a simple set of rules, and you just break them completely. Furthermore, the police know that you have been out of this building."  
My head snapped up. "What!?" I exclaimed. Mrs. VanWyck nodded, beginning to pace the room in front of the couch. "Yes. One of them spotted you, roaming the streets. Yesterday, I believe. He was the same officer who brought you to the refuge in the first place, so he recognized you and has reported you."

I let my head drop into the palm of my hand. I was bound to get caught sneaking out sometime, but I didn't think it would be this soon. And I certainly didn't think the police would ever know. "However," Mrs. VanWyck said. "I believe I have a solution."

I stared at her in confusion as she disappeared through the kitchen doors. It was near two AM and the building was dead silent. I could hear VanWyck turning the wheel to the numbers on the rotary phone and then I heard silence as she waited for someone on the other line to pick up.

Her words were hushed as she whispered into the phone. I struggled to make out what she was saying, but only got bits and pieces. I waited in anticipation and I finally heard the _click_ of the phone being put back on the hook. "It's settled." She stated, walking back through the doors.

"Have your bags packed by tomorrow. You're being moved to an orphanage upstate." VanWyck told me. My mouth dropped open and I struggled to get words out. "You call _dat_ a solution!?" I finally managed.

"Hush." She ordered. "Yes. I've told you. The police have spotted you. If I don't send you away now, you'll go back to the refuge." VanWyck said. I couldn't leave. I wouldn't see Ella anymore, or Jayson... Or Blink. I'd have to completely leave Blink behind. "I'd radda' go back to da refuge! I ain't leavin' me friends!" I exclaimed.  
"I refuse to let you do that. It's pure foolishness, to just willingly waste your life in a cell until you're eighteen years of age. You will pack your bags and be on a train by tomorrow evening. Besides, you have nothing here for you anyway but dirty streets and poverty."

I opened my mouth to protest, but Mrs. VanWyck stopped me. "As I've said before, it's already been settled. The phone call has been made and your plans are set. Now go off to bed."

I nodded slowly and obeyed her for once, dragging my feet up the stairs. Ella was sitting in my room when I got up there, positioned in her usual chair. She stood up when I walked through the door.

"Silver... What's goin' on? Is... Is VanWyck sendin' ya back to da refuge?" She asked, keeping her voice down. I shook my head. "No El. She's not." I replied. Sighing, I collapsed into a sitting position on the bed. Ella's eyes grew wide and she bit her lip, knowing that it was worse than that.

"VanWyck's shippin' me upstate." I told her. "To anudder orphanage. She don't want me goin' back to da refuge. She says I'se got nuttin' left heah." I said. She was quiet and the room was too dark to read her expression. After a few seconds, Ella finally sank down to the chair again.

"But, Dawn... What 'bout da rest if us? Me and everyone else heah... Or dat boy, da one you like?" She asked. I inhaled unsteadily and shook my head. "I dunno... I guess I'll come back. Once I'm eighteen and outta dat orphanage..."

"Dat's two years from now!" Ella exclaimed in a whisper. I shrugged and tried to smile. "I'll write." I said. Her face fell and she came over, taking a seat next to me and hugging me. I blinked the stinging tears out of my eyes as I hugged my best friend back.

When Ella pulled away, I saw that her face was tear-streaked. She tried to smile weakly. "El, can you do me a favor?" I asked. She nodded. "Tomorrow morning, can you go to the Newsboys' lodging house on Duane Street and find Kid Blink? Ya know, tell him what's goin' on? I'd go meself, but..."

"But VanWyck would catch ya." Ella finished for me. She nodded again. "Shoah, Silver." She whispered. "I'll go foist thing in da mornin', before dey leave to sell."

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Ella's eyes wandered from the faded yellow letters that read '_Newsboys' Lodging House'_ to the boy sitting on the front steps. At first glance, she thought that it might be the newsboy she was looking for. _No..._ She finally decided. _That looks nothing like the person Silver described_. She was looking for a blonde-haired boy with a brown eye patch.

The newsie sitting there had dark brown hair that flipped out from under the front of his hat. He had on suspenders and baggy pants. The boy took lengthy puffs on a cigar as he stared vacantly at nothing in particular.

"Scuse me..." Ella said timidly. He broke out of his daze and looked up, realizing for the first time that there was a girl standing next to him. "Yeah?" He asked.

Ella nervously rung her hands. She was never good with talking with people she didn't know well. That was always something Silver did without a problem. "Is Kid Blink heah?" She asked.

He eyed her suspiciously. "Who wants to know?" He asked. "I do." Ella stated. "Well, my friend does... But she couldn't come. My friend Silver." She explained. The boys' facial expression immediately softened. "Uh oh... Is somethin' wrong?" He asked.

"Well, yeah, sort of... But Silver aksed me to talk to Kid Blink." Ella replied. He pushed himself up from the steps and furrowed his eyebrows, pensively debating something. "Look...Blink's in dere," He pointed to the brick building. "But I dunno if you'se wanna go up dere right now... Dere's about twenty rowdy boys 'nd I'm guessin' half of 'em are still in dere underwear at da moment..."

Ella blushed uncomfortably at the comment. "But I'm Racetrack... Blink's one of me best friends, and I know Silver. If you wanna tell me what's goin' on, I'll be shoah to give him da message." He offered. Ella thought about it for a few seconds before nodding slowly.

She took a deep breath. "Tell him dat Silver got caught sneakin' out... Da caretaker's sendin' her to anudder orphanage upstate tonight and she wanted Kid Blink to know." She said. Racetrack's mouth fell open a little and he suddenly dropped back down to his sitting position on the steps.

"Oh God... He's gonna take dis real hard." Racetrack muttered, placing his chin in his hand. Ella sighed and nodded, sitting down on a step one lower than Racetrack. "Silver really likes him. He seems like a great guy." She said.

"He's da nicest guy you'll ever meet." Racetrack replied. He exhaled heavily, sounding distressed. "I'se known Blink since goils had cooties... I know how sensitive he is and I know how much he cares 'bout Silver... Dis is gonna break his heart." He stated.

Ella nodded. "I know... It's gonna break Silver's heart, too, but dere's nuttin' any of us can do. She's got no choice."

The front door of the lodging house swung open and three boys walked out. Ella quickly searched their faces for an eye-patch, but none of them had one. "Hey Race... Ya ready?" The tallest asked. He had unruly brown hair and was wearing pink long johns underneath his suspenders.

Racetrack nodded and stood up, brushing off his clothes. "I'se gotta get goin'... I'll make shoah Blink knows, though." He said, sticking out his hand to shake hers. Ella nodded and accepted the handshake, thanking him. Then she headed for the orphanage while the newsies headed for the circulation office.

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Uh oh... Silver's going away :O Wonder what Blink is going to have to say about this...?

Thanks for reading and please review if you can. I love hearing what you guys think.

MontanaSky, Spinner, SilverRain1.3, Passionate Fire, Swiveling Sharpies, ktkakes, ImaSupernaturalCSI, NarniaRulz-- Thanks so much for your reviews... As always, your comments made me way happy because they were just so great and all.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original characters from the Disney movie, "Newsies." The only characters in this story that I claim ownership over are Silver, Ella, Jay, and Mrs. VanWyck.

Okay. So to be honest, I really don't like this chapter. I mean, there's always something in each one of my chapters that I wish came out better, but I just _really_ don't like this one as a whole. It seems like it kinda came out too mushy and cliche and too "I'm trying too hard to be a writer." You know? I doubt I'm making any sense... Anyway, I really had no way around this so I just had to leave it. Oh well. I hope you guys at least like it.

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Ella and I sat in silence in the small room, her in the chair and me on the bed. For the first time in years, neither of us could find anything to say. Ella had been my best friend since I was ten years old, and we were to be separated in less than a few hours.

I hadn't packed my things yet. I couldn't. I wanted to leave it until the last possible second, so things wouldn't feel so final just yet.

I glanced out the window at the sun that was creeping lower in the sky. By the time dusk rolled around, I'd be on a train heading to some middle-of-nowhere town, miles away from my friends and the city I'd grown up in.

My mind wandered to Kid Blink as the minutes ticked away. With my head in my hand, I reflected on every single time I'd been with him, like a tape rewound and played over and over again. I think I'd miss his smile and his unfaltering happiness the most.

"Don't worry, Silver." Ella said softly, reading my mind. "He wouldn't let ya leave witout sayin' goodbye." She assured me. "What if he don't know yet dat I'se leavin'?" I asked. Ella shrugged slightly. "Race promised he'd give him da message... Don't worry. He'll be here." She repeated.

"I wish I could jus' go out 'nd see him..." I muttered. "Yeah, but how? Ya can't get outside..." Ella pointed out. I sighed in response and dropped backwards on the bed. Then there was quiet again.

I heard the sound of a wooden spoon hitting against a pan, meaning that dinner was ready and being handed out in the dining hall. Neither of us moved for a few seconds. "You comin'?" Ella asked finally. I shook my head. "Nah." I replied, still refusing to budge as I stared up at the ceiling. She nodded and slowly got to her feet. "Want me to bring ya up somethin'?" She asked. "I ain't hungry." I said truthfully. The anxiety and remorse in the pit of my stomach allowed no room for any other feeling.

Ella nodded slowly again and walked out, shutting the door behind her. My thoughts retreated back to Blink again. The feeling of his kiss still lingered on my lips from the night before.

The sun was starting to go down now. I reckoned that I only had about a half an hour before I had to leave. Deciding that Blink wasn't coming, I turned my back to the window and shut my eyes, attempting to block out actuality for a while.

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_Clink._ My eyes opened, but I didn't turn around yet, unsure if I had actually heard it or if my mind was playing tricks on me. _Clink_. A slight smile played on my mouth. He had come. I turned around and opened up the window, carefully stepping out. I made little noise so everyone in the dining hall, which was right below my room, wouldn't hear me.

I inched my way to the edge of the roof and looked down at him. There Blink was, looking up at me with his hands in his pockets. His usual, incredible grin was replaced with a sullen look. I'd never seen him looking so out of place.

We simply stared at each other for a few seconds before he said anything. "If dis is some prank dat Race's pullin' on me, I'se gonna murder him..." He muttered. I swallowed the lump in my throat and forced a weak smile onto my face. "Wish it was." I replied.

He sighed. "You don't know how much I'se gonna miss you, Silver." Blink told me. I knew that if I tried to respond, my voice would sound strained and forced from the tears. So I simply nodded, hoping that he knew that meant I would miss him, too. I lowered myself onto a sitting position on the edge of the roof.

"You can come to da lodgin' house, you know. You could live wit me 'nd da newsies, Silver. Even become one when dis whole thing blows over..." He offered, a hint of hope in his voice. I shook my head. "I can't..." I choked out. His face fell again, but he nodded understandingly.

"Are you ever gonna come back?" He asked. I silently cleared my throat, trying to prevent my crying to be evident in my voice. "Yeah, I guess I will... In a few years, once I'm eighteen and allowed to get outta dere..." I told him. Blink sighed, looking down at his feet. "I wish I could hug you er somethin'... Ya know, to say goodbye..." He said.

I shrugged. "I'se got no way of gettin' down. VanWyck found da rope." I answered. "So I'se noticed." Blink said. Silence again. Then he returned his gaze to me. "Well, den goodbye, I guess." He muttered.

I took in a deep breath. "A'right." I said. "Bye, Blink." He bit his lip and looked down to the ground for a second. After a short pause, Kid Blink turned his back to me and took a few steps away.

I watched him stop suddenly and freeze for a couple seconds. Then he turned around and asked me something that caught me thoroughly off guard. "Do you love me?" He questioned. I blinked a few times and narrowed my eyes in confusion. "What...?" I choked out. "Do you love me." He repeated. I looked away from his determined stare, glancing anywhere but his face. How was I supposed to answer that? Of course I did, but I didn't know what kind of answer he was looking for...

I finally looked back up at Kid Blink and nodded slightly. He bit his lip again and held his gaze with mine. "Would ya believe me if I said dat I think I love ya, too?" He asked. I faintly smiled and shrugged. A ghost of his old grin flashed on his mouth for a second, but it was gone again almost right away. "I'll be waitin' heah for you when you come back, okay, Silver?"

I hated the idea of leaving Manhattan behind for a few years. The thought of going away made me miserable. But if one thing could make me feel better, it was hearing Blink say that. To some people it would seem like just some stupid impractical teenage romance. But it wasn't. Not to us, anyway. People could think what they wanted.

He kissed the prints of his fingers and held his hand out towards me, as if the wind would carry the kiss to me. I forced a smile to my face. Kid Blink smiled sadly as well and then he turned to leave.

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So that's it. Silver's leaving... Or _is _she?! Will she find a way around it!?. :O Thanks for reading! About two more chapters, I think... I should have the next one out by tomorrow, as always.

Wow. The reviews you guys have been leaving are absolutely incredible. I hit my record for most reviews out of all of my stories! Thanks so much, you guys.

**Passionate Fire: **Haha! The thought of an emo Blink made me crack up... Possibly because he's one of the happiest characters in the whole movie. "Makin' a headline out of a-- Ah, who gives a crap?"

**Shi-Nom:** Yeah, I was trying not to make VanWyck sound like the evil-headmistress kind of type, you know? She's doing what she can to keep Silver out of the refuge, even if it means getting in trouble herself. I'm way glad someone (you) caught onto that :)

**Swiveling Sharpies:** Hahah... Heartbroken heart is very much heartbroken. Yay for alliteration :D. (Sorry. Ima dork.) Good luck with your haircut appointment. Hope you like your bangs?. :)

**SilverRain1.3**: I'm sorry!. ::Shields face from SilverRain1.3's wrath:: Don't hurt me? I'll... I'll fix it, I swear! (Maybe :D)

**ktkakes:** Woah... Ever since I started posting Newsie Fanfics in the beginning of the year, I don't think you've missed a chapter! Thanks for reviewing (as always) and I'll try to get the last few chapters out soon.

**Spinner: **Noo!! Don't cry!! Would it help if I shipped Mush over to you in a box? I've currently got him locked up in my closet! (Pffft, I wish.)

**MontanaSky:** aw, yay :D. I'm glad you think that, because I absolutely hate stories where it's easy for them to get together. (girl meets guy, girl and guy fall in love, girl and guy run away together without any problems, and girl and guy live happily ever after.) Blegh.

**NewsiesAndDanceMeanEverything:** Wow!! Thanks so much for reviewing on every single chapter! Nope, Ella's not completely real though she is based off of my friend, Yep, Blink is cute. Mush is my favorite but Blink isn't far behind. Yep, I'm a sappy person too :).

**ImaSupernaturalCSI: **When I first found out about the mayor's daughter thing, I was caught between "this is hysterical" and "This is just creepy." I mean, millions of last names out there and I just happened to pick that one? What're the odds!?


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original characters from the Disney movie, "Newsies." The only characters in this story that I own are Silver, Ella, Jayson, and Mrs. VanWyck.

Okay. This chapter is really _really_ short. But I wanted the last chapter to be longer, so that's why. Maybe if I get a chance I'll update the last chapter tonight.

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I ran my hand through my hair and sighed, quickly looking over the small room to make sure I didn't forget anything. All my belongings were stuffed into the knapsack on my bed.

I heard a knock on my door even though it was open. "Finally decided to start packin', huh?" Ella asked softly. I nodded and sat down to slip on my shoes. "Ya shoah you'se got everythin'?" She asked. "VanWyck says you'se leavin' in a few minutes."

Biting my lip, I looked up to meet Ella's gaze. "I'll be outta heah by da time VanWyck realizes I'se gone." I told her cautiously. She narrowed her eyes at me in confusion so I explained quickly before she could ask. "Blink came heah, jus' a few minutes ago. He said dat I should stay in da lodgin' house wit him 'nd da newsies..." I said. Ella's mouth dropped open, but I ignored it and continued.

"At first I told him I couldn't... But I thought about it, and, well, why can't I? I'd have a job and a place to live, and I'd be able to stay wit Blink 'nd still see you... No one eva' has to know 'bout dis but me, you, and da newsies... And den I'se free to do whatever I want."

Ella struggled to find her words. "But... but people'll find out! Dey'll realize dat you'se stayin' in da lodgin' house once you run away from heah..." She exclaimed. I shrugged. "No dey won't... I'll jus' keep a low profile 'til dis whole thing blows over..." Ella still had a look of terror on her face. I sighed. "Look, El... Dis is me only chance to stay heah... So say I _do_ get caught. What's da woist dat'll happen? I get sent back to da refuge?... or, or I end up goin' upstate after all... But say I don't. If dis woiks out, I don't gotta leave."

She held her gaze with mine for a few more seconds before she sighed and dropped her head in defeat. "I still won't get to see ya, though... I mean, I can't be visitin' da lodgin' house all da time or VanWyck'll catch on." She muttered. I shrugged. "Hey, better den some no-name town in upstate New Yawk, right?" I asked, smiling.

Ella cracked a smile but rolled her eyes. Her expression quickly faded into seriousness again, though. "I'se got a lot of respect for ya, Silver. Havin' da guts to jus' run away from heah..." She said. I raised an eyebrow. "You can run away too, ya know. Dere ain't nuttin' holdin' ya back." I pointed out.

"Yeah dere is." Ella responded. I tilted my head pensively to the side. "Fear, I guess..." She explained. "I dunno what's gonna happen to me once I leave dis orphanage... Maybe one day I'll muster up enough courage and 'nd get outta heah." She said.

It was quiet for a few seconds until we heard footsteps coming up the stairs. "Silvia... Are all your belongings packed? The carriage is waiting outside..." Mrs. VanWyck called. Ella and I looked at each other with expressions of horror on our faces.

"Go... I'll stall." Ella quickly whispered. I nodded and mouthed the word, "Thanks", hugging her quickly before she went out the door. I heard her stop Mrs. VanWyck in the hallway and start to mutter something about a bird that had somehow gotten into the girls' sleeping hall.

I grabbed my knapsack and headed for the window, but suddenly remembered that there wasn't a rope anymore. How could I have not thought about that sooner? Panicking, I looked around the room for something else to help me get down. I did a double-take when I saw the bed against the far wall.

I snatched the blanket and sheets off the bed and ran for the window again, struggling not to trip myself on the way over. Once outside, I shut the window after me.

At the edge of the roof, I tied the tightest knot I could manage between the sheet and the blanket and attached it to the smoke chimney. My bag was the first to go down as I chucked it off the edge. It landed with a _thud_ at the bottom, but all my belongings managed to stay inside the knapsack.

I had no idea how the blankets would hold, but I didn't have time to think about it. I wrapped the end around my waist and tied it securely. Then I started to walk down the side of the orphanage building.

About halfway down, I ran out of slack. The rope made of blankets couldn't stretch any further, and I was stuck. "Oh crap..." I mumbled. I took a deep breath and shut my eyes tight, undoing the knot around my waist. On the count of three I let go and dropped to the ground, which ended up being a lot more painful than it seemed it would be.

Despite the throbbing pain in my wrist, which I ended up landing on, I scrambled to my feet and grabbed my bag that was lying next to me on the grass. I ran as fast as I could towards the street. With any luck, Ella could stall long enough so that I would be gone from view by the time VanWyck found the blankets.

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So Silver's on her way to the lodging house. Will Mrs. VanWyck catch her!?. :O

Thanks for reading, guys!

mrcrocks06, Passionate Fire, NewsiesAndDanceMeanEverything, MontanaSky, Spinner, ImaSupernaturalCSI, Swiveling Sharpies, washedaway56, The Meadowlark, Trouble for Newsies, ktkakes, and Lady Beckett: Thanks so much for sending reviews!!


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original characters from the Disney movie, "Newsies." The only characters in this story that I claim ownership over are Silver, Ella, Jayson, and Mrs. VanWyck.

AHH LAST CHAPTER!! Okay go.

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I ran through Manhattan, past Central Park and the Square, and I didn't stop running until I got to the other side of town. I'd never been to the Lodging House before. To be honest, I don't think I had ever seen the building before. I knew the general area and the street name, but that would only get me so far.

It was getting darker and darker the longer I wandered around. On top of being caught by the police or VanWyck, the fear of being dragged into an alleyway and mugged flooded into my mind. I quickly pushed it away, though, trying to stay focused.

Every block I passed, I looked up at the street signs and read them off silently to myself. The poorly lit streets made it hard to see and the streetlamps didn't help much. After walking about 5 or 6 blocks, I finally found the right street. _Duane Street._

From there on, finding the lodging house was easy enough. It had a sign above the door that distinguished it from the other apartment buildings on the block. As I stood on the front stoop, the lively voices and laughter flooded out through the open window beside the door.

I knocked on the door and waited. When no one came to the door after a few seconds, I rapped on it again. Over the sound of the other newsies, one stood out as he yelled.

"Race, get da door, will ya?"

"You get da door, Jack! I'se in da middle of a pokah game..."

"Well, so am I!"

"So make Dutchy get it or somethin'..."

"I ain't gettin' it!"

"_I'll_ get it..." Someone muttered with a sigh. I heard footsteps coming to the door, and then it swung open. Kid Blink was laughing slightly at something one of the other newsies had said to him, but when he turned his head to look at me his smile faded and his eyes went wide.

"S-Silver?" He finally managed. I grinned at him, but neither of us said anything for a couple seconds. "But... But how'd you...?" I held up my arm, which was now starting to bruise. "scalin' down da buildin' worked better wit a rope." I replied.

Kid Blink cracked a smile (An amazing smile, I might add) and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me in to hug him. A few minutes ago, I thought I wouldn't get the chance to see him for a few years. Now he was right in front of me. I pressed my forehead into his chest and held onto him.

"Uh, hey Blink... You'se gonna make 'em stand outside all day?" One of the newsies asked. Blink stepped back into the doorway and pressed his shoulder against the door to hold it open, motioning for me to go inside.

When I walked in, Race looked up from his cards. "Silver!" He exclaimed, getting to his feet. "Hey! What happened to bein' in da middle of a card game!?" Cowboy yelled. Racetrack ignored him and came over to me and Blink.

"So ya got away, huh?" Race asked excitedly. I nodded. "Yeah... Ella's da only one who knows I'se heah... So who knows? Maybe I'll get away wit dis..." I replied. Racetrack shrugged. "Hope so, 'cause I don't think Blink heah is too keen on givin' ya up." He grinned.

Blink looked down at me with a half-smile on his face. He snaked one of his arms around my waist. "C'mon... let's go get ya signed in, a'right?" He asked.

"And who's dis?" Kloppman asked as we approached his desk. The old man had on round glasses that were placed on the bridge of his nose. He wore a black bowler derby hat and a warm smile on his face. "Dis is Silver... She needs a place to stay." Blink answered.

Kloppman tapped a finger against his chin pensively. "I dunno, Kid. She looks a lil' dangerous, to me..." He stated. Judging by the smirk on his face, I guessed he was teasing him. "Aw, c'mon Kloppy. She ain't dangerous... She's me goil!" Blink said.

"Wait..." He muttered, turning to me. "You are me goil, ain't ya?" Blink asked. I rolled my eyes, but smiled and nodded. "Yep, she's me goil." Blink confirmed, turning back to him. "Please, Kloppman?" He begged.

The old man laughed. "Sign heah, okay?" He said, pushing a heavy book towards me. I signed my nickname and the date on the next blank line and pushed the book towards him again. Then I put ten cents on the desk for the week. Kloppman picked up the book and read what I wrote, nodding as he did so.

He shut the cover and looked back up at the two of us. "A'right, Silver. Da boys'll show ya where dere's a free bunk, 'nd den you'se set."

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Exhausted, I stumbled in through the lodging house door. Most of the newsies, including Kid Blink, were already sitting around on the floor and couches. As always, Racetrack had a poker game going with a small group of them.

I had been staying with the newsies for about two weeks now, so summer had just started. Neither Mrs. VanWyck nor the police had figured out where I was, so Blink and I decided that it was safe for me to start selling newspapers now. Just as long as I kept the attention drawn to me at a minimum while I was out on the streets.

"How was yer foist day?" Blink asked. In response, I collapsed on the couch next to him and took off the brown newsboy hat, letting my ponytail fall onto my back. "I believe dis is yours." I said, tossing the hat to Blink.

He caught it and grinned at me, putting it back on his head. "Anyone catch on?" He asked. I shook my head. "Don't think so... Some guy bumped into me and muttered, 'excuse me, son'." I told him. Then I bit my lip and tilted my head pensively to the side. "Come to think of it... I'se kinda insulted. Even if dat was da whole point of dis."

Blink laughed and put his arm around me, pulling me closer to him. I put my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes, worn out from my first day of selling. Despite how simple the newsies made it look, selling papes really wasn't that easy. On top of that, you had to get up early and be on your feet all day. But to be honest, I didn't really mind it. As long as I was still in Manhattan with Kid Blink, I'd get used to the selling part.

Someone knocked on the lodging house door, but none of the newsies made any attempt to go get it. The knocking came again, and again no one budged. "Ya think any ones gonna get dat?" I asked, looking up at Blink. His eyes were closed, too, but he shook his head. "Not a chance." He muttered.

I sighed. "Fine." I kissed Kid Blink on his jaw line, partly because that was the closest thing to his lips I could reach without putting any effort into it. I pulled myself to my feet and wandered over to the door.

I'm not sure who I was expecting, but I was completely caught off guard when I saw that it was my best friend standing out on the stoop of the Newsboys Lodging House. "E-Ella?" I stuttered. I hadn't seen her in two weeks, since I had left the orphanage.

She smiled at me. "Hey Silver." I saw that she was carrying a bag over her shoulder. It looked like it was stuffed with clothes and all of her other belongings.

"Jus' wondering... You got any free bunks here?" She asked.

The End.

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And yet another one finished. My god, this is... ::Counts on fingers:: 9 finished writing pieces having to do with newsies. I definitely need a life.

You guys, with the reviews, you're amazing. Huge thanks to: ktkakes, Pippa Kelly, NewsiesAndDanceMeanEverything, Passionate Fire, Trignifty, SantaFeDreamer, NarniaRulz, MontanaSky, Swiveling Sharpies, Shi-Nom, ImaSupernaturalCSI, washedaway56, Spaz-24601, The Meadowlark, Facetiouslymischevious, Trouble for Newsies, mrcrockz06, Spat Tanblen, SilverRain1.3, Orange Socks and Polka Dots, stress, Spinner, Lavendar26, thatbrooklyn, and Lady Beckett.

Alright. So I've got one more story to post. It's not exactly a whole story, but it's not a one shot either... It's more like... A three shot? I dunno. Somewhere around there. It should be up way soon. Soon as I figure out a name for it.


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